Eden
by Jpbake
Summary: Post apocalyptic AU, trolls have been pushed to the brink of extinction, nearly wiped out due to a war caused by the bergens. For Branch, one of the last remaining troll survivors, every day is a fight for survival. But one day a mysterious young Pink troll arrives that could change his entire world, and also could hold the key to the survival of their species. rated M
1. The last of the trolls

**Happy New year every one. To celebrate 2018 I have posted a new story for all of us to enjoy. Now fair warning this story is unlike any trolls story you have ever read before. It is dark and i mean _DARK_. To the point that I couldn't justify a T rating for it and had to give it a M. it is also stronger on language then my other trolls stories and really _really_ heavy on violence. If you don't think you can handle a story like this, that's okay I understand you can stick with my other trolls story Poppy and the Phantom. But i felt i needed to let you know what was in this story. **

**To everybody else though if you can pull up a Justin Timberlake playlist on Spotify, you will need it for this story because there will be times when Branch is listening to music that will just so happen to be songs from his voice actor Justin Timberlake.  
**

 **With all that said let's get started with this story.**

 _Branch's Journal, Date: August 27th 2029, Time: two thirty PM._

 _My name is Branch I am a troll, but most importantly I am a survivor. A survivor in a war infested world run by the bergens. Many years ago troll's and bergens lived together in piece, along with the humans, goblins and elves. But that all changed ten years ago when the bergins decided to rage war._

 _Under the Supreme General Chef, the bergens believed they were the only species worthy enough to rule this planet, and built a army to wipe the others out. The humans were the first to go, while their politicians argued on the best way to handle the bergens crisis, Chef ordered atom bombs dropped on each countries capitals, wiping out billions of humans. With all the politicians and world leaders gone the bergens quickly marched into the destroyed cities and wiped out what humans remained._

 _After the humans were eliminated the bergens attacked the goblins next, while the goblins didn't waist time arguing about the best plan of action, they did find themselves quite out matched. The bergens had much more powerful weapons and the goblins had no where near the numbers that the bergens had. Soon they found themselves surrounded by the bergen army and were picked off like fish in a barrel. It wasn't long before the goblin army fell._

 _Next came the elves, they actually put up somewhat of a fight. They had the numbers and the weapons to fight. The problem is they never spread out and decided to stick together as one army instead of splitting up in colonies. All it took was for Chef to find out where all the elves was and drop a atom bomb on them before all the elves were gone._

 _Lastly the bergens raged war on the trolls. We fought hard, harder then any of the other species fought before. We might not have been as big as the bergens, but we had the spirit and the weapons to match them. We built tanks, heavy suits of armor and weapons that could match theirs. We split up, setting up bases all around the world. We picked off more bergens then any other species did, the problem was that by the time the bergens got to us their army grew so large that they were virtually unstoppable. The more bergens we killed the more would come and pick off were they let off. Soon despite our best efforts we too found ourselves overwhelmed._

 _As I write this I fear that I may be one of the last of the trolls. I live in hiding with my Grandma, I haven't seen another troll in nearly a year. I fear that we are the only two left, the last of the trolls. It's only a matter of time before they eventually find me and get me too. I just hope that whoever finds this knows, we put up a hell of a damn good fight._

Branch put down his journal, picked up a pair of binoculars and stared at his surroundings. He stood on the top branch of a willow tree about fifty yards from a convenient store. Once a week, Branch would leave his bunker to go get supplies, leaving his grandmother locked in the basement for safety. Branch knew the risk of leaving the bunker every week, but he also knew that without food that if the bergens didn't find them, they would eventually starve to death. So Branch would carry three daggers, a nine millimeter pistol, a sawed off shotgun, and a backpack filled with supplies and venture out into the war covered streets to gather food, water and medicine for his grandmother.

As Branch stared through his binoculars at the convenient store in front of him, inside was a bergen store owner just finishing ringing up a bergen family. As soon as the bergen family left the owner would go into his office, that would be when Branch had to make his move. Branch would go into the store as quietly and as quickly as he could without being spotted, steal whatever food, water and medicine he could get his hands on and leave without hopefully being spotted by the store owner.

Branch watched as the family left the store, got into their car and drove off. Branch then took out his ipod and putting the earbuds in his ears he picked out a song to listen to while he raided the store. He landed on the song "Mirrors" a song from back in his days in a boy band. With the song picked out, Branch leaped off the tree branch, used his hair the grab onto a street lamp then built a stairwell out of his hair to walk on landing safely onto the pavement. Now came the hard part sneaking in unnoticed. While not being as big as the bergens, at two feet they could still be spotted easily. If he went through the front door he would easily be spotted, mainly because the little bell above the door would ring signalling a customer. No, there had to be another way in. Branch saw a crowbar laying promptly on the ground, he didn't know why their was a random crowbar n the ground but Branch didn't care, this was his ticket in. Sneaking to a back window where he wouldn't get noticed by the bergen store owner Branch used the crowbar to prompt the window open enough for him to crawl through. Branch put the crowbar in his hair for safe keeping in case he needed it later, then he made his way quietly through the store.

Seeing bags of fresh vegetables and fruit Branch opened his backpack and stuffed bag after bag of fruits and veggies until he thought he had enough. Branch then grabbed a few cans of tuna he saw on a shelf as well as a few boxes of pasta, thinking he could make a tuna casserole for dinner later. Next Branch worked on stuffing as many water bottles as well as some beer bottles for himself into the bag. Lastly came Grandma Rosiepuff's medicine. For the past couple of years Rosiepuff started suffering seizures due to epilepsy. Branch needed to get Rosiepuff medicine every chance he got in order to keep Rosiepuff's seizures down. Grabbing about five small bottles of seizure medicine Branch stuffed the bottles in his hair and turned to make a break for it... only to see the store owner had spotted him and had a gun pointed at his head.

"You dare rob from me you filthy troll?" The store owner growled. Branch didn't have time to think, his survival instinct's kicking in Branch pulled out the crossbar and struck the bergen's hand knocking the gun out. Branch then grabbed one of his daggers and stabbed the bergen in the chest six times until the bergen toppled over dead, laying in a pool of blood. Branch was sure the bergen was dead but just wanting to be safe Branch grabbed the rifle the bergen had pointed at him and shot the bergen in the forehead, before stuffing the rifle behind his back. Branch could always use another weapon, especially if he was going to survive this war infested shit hole.

Branch's bunker was located in the middle of a desert, as far away from the bergens as he could get. Being so far it took half a day to get to town and half a day to get back, making a supply run literally a whole day affair. Which is why Branch made sure to limit the supply runs to once a week knowing how long it took to get to town. Arriving back at the bunker at eight PM Branch walked down to the basement to check on Rosiepuff, seeing her laying in bed reading a book.

"I got you some medication while i was gone." Branch said once he entered the room. Rosiepuff didn't even look up at him as she buried her face int the book.

"You kill anybody today?" Rosiepuff asked in a disappointed voice.

"Why does it matter?" Branch replied setting the supplies down.

"Branch, what did you do?"

"Grandma the world is not the same as it was when you were a child!" Branch suddenly snapped "Trolls, their gone now! Slaughtered needlessly because of those monsters. We could very well be the only ones left in this godforsaken world."

"I refuse to believe that we are the last ones."

"Open your eyes grandma! I haven't seen another troll in almost a year!"

"Yeah because you only leave the bunker once a week to get supplies then spend the rest of your time locked up in here living in fear." Rosiepuff grabbed Branch's backpack and started looking through the supplies he got, she noticed Branch's journal and started reading through it.

"Hey that's my journal, you can't read that!" Branch snapped reaching for his journal, only for Rosiepuff to pull it away.

"We live in the same bunker, what is yours is also mine."

"What are we a married couple?" Branch griped

"I don't know, we sure as hell fight like one." Rosiepuff scoffed

"You don't see me wearing your clothes." Branch smarted off

"Yeah because you'd look ugly in them."

"Can I just have my journal back?" Branch whined.

"Why must you right such depressing shit?"

"Because the world is depressing grandma, I'm sure you of all people would know that by now."

"I do know that Branch, I know that better then anybody. I remember when the world was happy, when bergens and trolls would throw parties together, laugh and have fun.. I remember playing games with the humans and going out with many of my goblin friends. It saddens me to see them all gone. But I still try to stay positive, I still try to keep hope up that things will get better."

"Sorry Grandma, but I doubt that they ever will."

"Just try to write some positive stuff every once and a while for me. I remember times when you were once happy too. Even if you don't remember."

"I do remember the happy times Grandma, and it is those happy times that depress me the most."

Branch then left Grandma in her room in the basement and went upstairs to his own room. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and saw blood splattered on his clothes and skin from the bergen he killed earlier. Growling to himself he started washing the blood off, and took off his blood covered shirt.

"Bleach," the Branch growled to himself "Should of got bleach while I was gone." Branch stared at his grey reflection in the mirror and rubbed his fingers through a scar on his chest. The scar was thanks to a bergen attack four years ago, the day he decided to go into hiding with his grandma, and the day he became what he was today. Branch walked out of the bathroom and set down on his bed in total darkness. Putting on one of his CD's from his days in a band to listen to as he stared at the darkness.

The song called "Bye, bye, bye" was one of his most popular songs back with his band NSANE his band was a play on the word insane but the replaced the IN with just a N for laughs. Back in the day his band was the most popular band on the charts but that all changed one day, the day he became what he was now. Listening to his old band Branch broke down in tears thinking about his more happier days.

Rosiepuff suddenly walked down carrying a plate filled with ham a baked Potato and broccoli.

"We still have plenty of food from your last supply run, you might not need to make a supply run for two weeks this time."

Rosiepuff then noticed Branch crying as he was listening to his old band. Her grandmotherly instincts kicked in and she set the plate down and walked over to comfort her grandson.

"Hey there, it will be okay Branch." Rosiepuff said as she put a comforting arm around Branch's shoulders, Branch buried his head in his grandma's shoulders. "We will survive, your friends would want you to survive. We are not the only ones left I promise." Branch just didn't know if he could believe her or not.

 **If this feels a little bit like the movie Logan it's because I used the movie as inspiration for this story. But don't worry the story itself is original with just parts of the story inspired by Logan. Hope you enjoyed it and hope you will all come back.**


	2. Grocery store slaughter

**I just want to clear something up that I forgot to mention last chapter, the trolls in this story are bigger than they were in the movie. They are still smaller than the bergens but I thought if they were just a few inches tall like in the movie then they wouldn't stand a chance in battle with the bergens so I raised their height to two feet tall in order to give them a better chance. Still small but not as small as the movie.**

 **Also do remember that this story is M rated for a reason, it is very heavy on the violence and does contain some strong language. If it becomes to much for you then you won't hurt my feelings if you bow out, because i know not everyone can handle something like this.**

 **Riverajocabed1: I can understand your nervousness about the rating. Honestly I was nervous about writing this when I realized that the story was leaning towards a M rating. I had only wrote a M rated story once before and it was such a complete disaster. I even considered scrapping this story at first because I was scared of writing something M rated. But at the end I just thought "Heck with it" and wrote it anyway.**

 _Branch's journal: Date, August 28th 2029. Time, eight thirty AM._

 _Grandma suggested I try to write more positive material in my journal. I don't really know how I can with this world the way it is but I will give it a try. It seems such a lifetime ago, but in reality it was only about a decade ago when me and my band "NSANE" was at the top of the world. The war with the bergens had only just started at the time and it would be another few years before the trolls got involved. During that time period me and my band would tour the country performing concerts for sold out croud's selling millions of albums and being labelled the most popular band in the world._

 _Our fame had reached so far that we were invited one year to perform with this popular female troll singer named Caroline for the halftime performance at a popular sporting event. We of course accepted without question, to perform at a sporting event like this was a huge honor and would spread our music to the older generation sports fans. Despite our popularity we were more famous with the teens and young adults, mainly of the female crowd, we had been looking for the chance to showcase our music to the older generation and this event was the perfect platform._

 _Well we took the stage and performed a mix of our greatest hits for a short twenty minute concert, since it was just a halftime show and not a full concert we couldn't do a full two hour show. Well, during the last performance I thought it would be fun to pull a humorous stunt for shock value, something that would get us on the news and get people talking. As we sang the last line of our final song, which talked about getting a girl naked by the end of the song, I reached over to Caroline's shirt, yanked on to the shirt around the breast region and tour a huge chunk of the shirt off... and wouldn't you know it Caroline wasn't wearing a bra. I thought I was just going to give the audience a view of Caroline's bra as a joke but somehow, someway, either she was to lazy to put on underwear or is one of those weird freaks who doesn't like that type of stuff, I ended up giving the whole stadium plus the millions of people watching at home a birds eye view of Miss Caroline's titties._

 _Well we definitely made the news all right but not in the type of shock value we were hoping. What we thought would be a joke turned into a full blown scandal. Their was parents outraged, lawsuits filed as well as me and Caroline being slapped with fines. And we were barred from ever playing at any sporting event ever again. Needless to say it was not the type of attention I thought we were going to get._

 _After the dust settled a few weeks later I went to Caroline's house to apologize for the stunt. I literally got on my hands and knees the second she opened the door and begged for her forgiveness, saying I was sorry for the little stunt I never would of done it if I knew she wasn't wearing anything underneath._

 _And this time it was her who took me by surprise. Not only did she forgive me, not only did she laugh and say she thought the whole thing was actually funny and she got a kick out of it. But right there in her living room she grabbed me by the back of my head and planted my lips on hers. She then shoved me on the couch and yanked my pants off faster than I could think and then unbuttoned her shirt and pulled down her blouse, showing even more of her than what I showed on TV, and before I knew it we were making love right there in her house._

 _I haven't seen Caroline since the bergens attacked the trolls, I doubt she's even still alive now. But that was one of my favorite and most happiest moments from my previous life, because it all started over a dumb prank from a stupid young troll._

 **Las Vegas Nevada about a hundred miles south of Branch's bunker.**

"Hurry move!" A male purple troll shouted, a rifle in his hand. A group of about ten trolls were running for their lives, half of them were carrying boxes filled with food and other supplies in their hands while the other half where shooting at the bergens chasing at them.

"Damn it guys, move it!" The purple troll shouted again, "Get those damn supplies on the truck so we can get the hell out of here!"

"I don't see you landing me a hand with these boxes!" A big blue troll fussed back as he put two full boxes full of supplies in the back of the truck.

"Yeah because I'm to busy protecting your sorry ass from these bergens trying to kill us!" The purple troll snapped back.

"OH MY GAH!" A yellow female troll screamed as she was being chased by a bergen swinging a ax at her. The purple troll acted fast and aimed his gun at the bergen's forehead pulling the trigger and nearly blowing the bergens head off it's body as the bullet made impact with it's skull. The bergen fell dead in a pull of blood.

"Okay I think that's the last of it." The big troll said as they loaded their tenth and final box onto the truck. "Everybody get inside quick," It was right then that he realized someone was missing. "Wait a minute, where's Poppy?"

Back inside the store the trolls could see a female pink troll stuffing a few more items of food in her backpack as she crawled on her stomach trying to avoid enemy fire. She was just about to make a break for the door when she found herself pinned in by about nine bergens, all with heavy artillery. The pink troll was forced to hide behind some shelves filled with box dinners to avoid being hit by their flying bullets.

"Dammit Poppy move!" The purple troll screamed as he watched impatiently as Poppy was trapped by the bergens.

"God Dammit we got to go back inside we got to do something, we got to save her!" A four legged troll started to freak out as the trolls watched horrified as Poppy was cornered by a wave of gun fires. The purple troll pondered frantically what to do when suddenly about six more bergens stepped out of the store firing their guns at them. One even had a R.P.G with him and was starting to load it.

"No time, we got to go now!" The purple troll screamed as he floored the gas and made off.

"No!" Poppy gasped as she saw her ride leave her. She couldn't believe it, she was their all alone, abandoned by her friends to fight off this bergen army by herself.

"Dammit Creek what are you doing? We got to go back!" A red female troll screamed at the purple troll as she watched as they were getting further and further away from the store.

"If you want to go back Suki and get your head blown off be my guess but we got to get out of here now!"

"But what about...?" A pink female troll that was connected by the hair to a blue female troll asked. Both the conjoined trolls were covered with tatoos and body piercings.

"Forget about Poppy's she's dead Satin, serves her right for lagging behind like that. If we waited any longer we all would of joined her."

"No," the blue twin cried "She can't be, not Poppy. What... What will father think?"

Creek sighed, he didn't know how Peppy would take the news of one of his daughters dying. But at the same time Creek would of made the same decision again even if he took Peppy into consideration. "Doesn't matter what he thinks. I had to make a choice between one life or all of ours. Someday when you are in charge of these supply run missions I hope if you are left in a situation like this I prey you make the right decision too."

The twins stared out the back window of the truck as it drove away from the store, tears starting to form from their eyes as they feared they would never see their older sister again "No, Poppy."

Poppy hid behind the rack of boxed food, planning her next move carefully. The six bergens from outside joined the nine others inside and all pointed their guns toward the direction Poppy was hiding. The second Poppy stuck her pink little head out they would all fill her with so much led they could use her carcass as a pencil.

Poppy took a deep breath and counted the number of bullets left in her gun, "Twelve, and there is fifteen bergens, Crap!" Time for plan B, she pulled a grenade out of her hair, she could quickly toss it to their direction and make a break for it as it exploded. She might not kill them all or make it out of the store, but she would at least take a few of them out with it, giving her better odds.

"Here it goes." Poppy said as she removed the pin to the grenade, closed her eyes and took a big exhale. "God a hope this works. She tossed the grenade backhanded, and it landed right in the middle of the pack of bergens. The bergens didn't have time to react before the grenade exploded, giving Poppy the time she needed to make a break for it. Four bergens got killed in the explosion and the rest were so stunned by the grenade that they couldn't hear and see anything do to blurry vision and ringing ears. The entire store was also engulfed in smoke now, causing them to cough and crawl on their knees as they searched for their weapons.

"I'm going to kill that little bitch!" One of the bergens roared.

"Come now is that anyway to talk to a lady?" Poppy laughed right before she leaped through the smoke wielding a butcher knife in one hand and a hammer in the other. While the bergens was scrambling during the explosion Poppy took the opportunity to grab herself a couple more weapons she could use in the brawl. As Poppy lunged for the bergen it didn't have time to find a gun before Poppy swung her blade and sliced right through the bergens neck. By the time the head hit the floor Poppy was already attacking her next victim, planting the back end of her hammer into one bergens shoulder blade while turning around and slicing off the tip end of another bergen's fingers. Aiming to quickly finish the two bergens off Poppy pulled out the hammer from her one bergen and struck him with the front in on the back of the head so hard that blood splattered from his head and onto her face. The second bergen was laying on the ground screaming holding his hand where Poppy cut off it's fingers. Poppy then cut off his whole arm and left the bergen screaming as he quickly bled to death.

"Seven down," Poppy counted to herself "Eight to go." Poppy then heard the cocking of some guns and noticed three bergens had managed to find weapons as the smoke started to fade. Wasting no time Poppy put the hammer in her hair and pulled out her gun and fired a single shot at all three bergens, each hitting the bullseye right between the eyes. "Make that five to go." Poppy grabbed a crowbar from a shelf and swung it at a bergen, hitting him in the eye. One bergen grabbed at her but Poppy was able to stab her blade into his forehead. She then delivered a uppercut to a third bergen with her hammer before bashing him in the back of the skull with it. In the corner of her eye she saw the bergen with a R.P.G from earlier crawling on the floor having located his R.P.G. Poppy quickly used her hair to grab it and pull it towards her.

"Say goodnight dumbass!" Poppy laughed as she fired the R.P.G. The rocket hit the guy head on and sent him flying into a propane outside, which erupted into flames on contact.

"Oh that's got to hurt." Poppy laughed. Poppy didn't see the last bergen charging for her until the two of them crashed through a wall. They landed into a bathroom where the two of them engulfed into a fist fight, each one delivering several blows towards each other. After two minutes Poppy finally ended up getting the upper hand after delivering a uppercut to the chin that knocked the bergen on his back. Poppy then yanked a lid off a toilet and began striking the bergen multiple times over the head. Not giving up until she heard his skull crack and saw he stopped twitching.

Poppy let out several deep breaths as she finished off the last bergen, her pink skin and hair looked more red with the amount of blood that got splattered on her due to the fight. Satisfied and relieved that no more bergens were trying to kill her at the moment, Poppy got up, tossed her weapons to the side, picked up her backpak full of supplies that somehow survived the explosion and walked out.

It was right then that it donned on her, how the hell was she going to get back home? The trip took three days buy car, and she no longer had a vehicle after Creek ditched her. She had to get a hold of a vehicle fast otherwise risk never getting back. But where was she going to find one small enough for a troll, bergens were twice their size and their vehicles were way to big for them, she would never reach the gas pedals.

"Oh Poppy what type of mess have you got yourselves into?" She looked up at the bright sun beating down on her, it was a hot August day, ninety one degrees outside and rising. It was going to be a long and hot walk to wherever Poppy was heading, that of which she didn't even know.

"Okay, find a place to clean up and crash for the day, find a troll size vehicle to drive, leave for Eden tomorrow, arrive in three days and throttle Creek when I see him. Perfect, what could go wrong?"

Turns out a lot, Poppy soon found herself lost in the desert, the temperature raised up to over a hundred degrees and Poppy found her water flask had run empty.

"Crap!" Poppy griped as she tried desperately to get even one more drop of water out of her flask to know prevail. "If I don't get shelter and some water soon I will die in this heat."

It was right then that Poppy saw a small bunker just a hundred yards ahead of her, she didn't know if her luck was finally changing or if the heat was causing her to see a mirage but she had to at least check it out. As fast as her exhausted legs could take her in this heat she walked up to the bunker and knocked on it to see if it was real. Sure enough it was no mirage, somebody really did live in hear.

"Oh thank god!" Poppy sighed as she twisted the doorknob... only to see that is was locked. Poppy needed to get in somehow, this desert heat was deadly. Pulling out a hair pin Poppy put it in the key hole and started to pick the lock. Within thirty seconds the door unlocked and she ran inside.

There was not a single light on in the house as far as she could tell, she didn't know if anybody was home or if they just wanted it to appear that way. Regardless it made for a good shade from the desert sun. Walking to the kitchen sink Poppy took some dish soap, turned on the water and started washing away the blood from her hands, arms and face, almost getting lost in a trance thanks to the welcoming feeling of the cold water that ran through her arms.  
She soon snapped out of her trance when she felt a gun press against the back of her head and a _very_ unwelcoming voice growl in her ear.

"Who are you?"

 **Fun fact, the battle between Poppy and all those bergens was inspired from a Harley Quinn comic I'm currently reading entitled "Red meat". In it Harley took on a group of villeins with nothing but a knife and hammer and turned the whole place into a blood bath. I will be taking inspiration from that comic again in a future chapter down the road that I will be titling "Red meat" as well because the story line for that comic will have some similarities to a certain plot point that I am going to be using for this story**

 **Hope you enjoyed this and hope it wasn't to over the top for you**


	3. Poppy meets Branch

**I'm back everyone, let's get this rolling.**

"Last chance," Poppy could hear the guy behind her cock the gun, ready to blow her brains out. Poppy didn't dare move a muscle, if she even gave the wrong impression she was good as dead. "Who are you?"

"Please," Poppy pleaded, trying to let whoever was holding the gun know she was not a threat. "I just came inside to get out of the sun, I'm not a threat."

"I don't care get out." The voice said

"But it's so hot out there that I will die if you throw me out."

"Not my damn business, I said get out!"

"Please, I need to get to the other trolls."

"What!?" It was right then that the gun holder released his gun and turned on a light. It was then that both Poppy and the gun holder both got a good look at each other, and both just stared and shock at each other. Turns out the gun holder was another troll, a grey one in fact with dark black hair. Judging from the look on his face, he looked like he had scene a ghost.

"No, no, no no. It's impossible." The grey troll said "There are more trolls?"

"Wait you haven't seen another troll before?" Poppy asked confused.

"Branch what's going on out here?" A older female troll asked suddenly walking into the room. She saw Poppy and instantly her eyes widened and tears fell from her eyes as she cupped her hand over her face.

"I knew we couldn't have been the last."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on." Poppy was desperately trying to wrap her head around the strange situation. "Your telling me you thought you were the last trolls?"

"We haven't seen another troll in almost a year." The Grey troll called Branch replied. "Not since I moved me and my Grandma down here for protection from the bergens. They don't really come out this far. There's no water out here in the desert and the sun is unbearable."

"Not exactly the best living conditions," The older troll replied "Branch here doesn't even let me go outside, but it's survival. So what's your name my dear?"

"Poppy."

"Well Miss Poppy, I'm Rosiepuff." The purple troll shook Poppy's hand. "And you already met my grandson. He's sorry for pointing his gun at you."

"Well she broke in."

"I knocked but you didn't answer."

"I thought you were a bergen."

"Trust me Branch," Poppy replied "Bergens don't knock, they storm in and take."

"So Miss Poppy, why are you here?" Rosiepuff asked "It's not safe for a troll to be out here alone by themselves. Especially with the bergens out there."

"Well I wasn't alone at first. Me and a group of other trolls were making a supply run when the bergens who ran the store we raided attacked. I got pinned in and the others in my group panicked and left me behind. I was trying to find my way back home when I started getting overheated due to this desert sun. That's why I broke in here, to shade myself until morning. By the way you wouldn't have a vehicle I can borrow to get home do you?"

"I have a truck but it's off limits." Branch said quickly and firmly. Rosiepuff elbowed Branch for his rudeness, which Branch responded sharply by rolling his eyes.

"So where is this home of yours dear?" Rosiepuff asked.

"How could you have seriously not heard of it?" Poppy asked surprised.

"Heard of what?" Branch asked

Poppy took a map of North America out of her hair and pointed to a group of mountains just inside the Canadian border. "Eden."

"Eden?" Both Branch and Rosiepuff asked at the same time

"The last safe haven for the trolls." Poppy responded with glee. "See it's in a set of mountains up in Canada, General Chef and her army don't know about it because they don't go that far up north. Bergens don't exactly like the cold you know. So a group of rebel bergens who don't agree with what Chef is doing actually helped find this place for the trolls to hide in."

"Wait?" Branch suddenly interrupted. "Your telling me you and god knows how many other trolls willingly moved into a place founded by some bergens."

"Yes pay attention." Poppy replied

"YOU WENT TO A PLACE FOUNDED BY BERGENS!?" Branch yelled louder. "ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

"Branch these bergens aren't bad."

"Their Bergens! They started this godforsaken war! They're the reason we are on the brink of extinction!"

"These Bergens saved our lives Branch!" Poppy snapped "Believe it or not not every bergen in the war agrees with Chef's tyranny ways. Several have actually helped us out and several others have gave their lives helping us. Many of the good bergens were killed trying to get us to Eden."

"Then how come they never came for me and Grandma?"

"Several months back Chef started increasing the security around the country. She knows that we are doing supply runs and she knows that there are good bergens trying to help out when they can. A lot of the bergens that has helped us out over the past few years have suddenly disappeared without a trace. Odds are that Chef discovered what they were doing and had them executed for their treachery."

"Good, one less bergen around."

"BRANCH!" Rosiepuff scolded

"Well forgive me for finding it hard to believe that any bergen actually wants to help us?"

"I know it seems hard to believe Branch but trust me. Chef may rule over the bergens but there are still several out there that still has a conscious and didn't get brainwashed by that monster. You haven't seen any trolls lately because the good bergens probably found them and took them to Eden. You got left behind probably because it started becoming to dangerous for the good bergens to come after you with Chef's soldiers patrolling the streets. But that's okay now because I found you and I can take you there myself."

"So what are you doing out here in the Vegas desert if Eden is in the mountains of Canada?" Branch asked, his arms folded and still struggling to take all this in.

"Well once a month we are supposed to do a supply run. My father sends about ten trucks to go gather food and supplies for the over eighty five thousand trolls who live in Eden."

"Eighty five thousand!" Both Branch and Rosiepuff gasped, shocked that there was still that many of them around.

"Eight thousand five two hundred and twenty nine to be exact. I counted them myself." Poppy bragged "Well anyway the driver of my truck Creek decided to go farther south. My father forbidden us from going this far down south because Chef's headquarters is located in the South USA down in New Mexico. But Creek insisted saying that Chef keeps all the good stuff down here. He wasn't lying, Chef has the majority of her army stationed down south here and keeps all the good food for her and her men and sends what they don't want to the rest of the bergen population up north. She is cruel even to her own kind but there is a lot of bergens don't see it. Anyway, Creek's boneheaded stubbornness came with a price and that's why I am stuck down here."

"Sounds like a real asshole." Rosiepuff replied.

"He can be somewhat hard to deal with at times but..." Poppy suddenly stopped talking when she saw Rosiepuff starting to shake uncontrollably. Rosiepuff fell to the ground jerking violently unable to stop.

"What's going on?" Poppy panicked

"She's having a seizure!" Branch screamed "Get her some water fast! I'm getting her medication." Poppy didn't argue, she instantly ran and got a glass and filled it with water. Branch went to the medicine cabinet and grabbed a bottle with Rosiepuff's medicine. Branch ran back to the kitchen where Rosiepuff was still shaking and forced a pill in her mouth. Poppy forced the pill down her throat with some water and within a couple seconds Rosiepuff stopped shaking and calmed down.

"Thank you." Rosiepuff gasped, trying to catch her breath after that horrifying incident.

"I think you need to lay down for a little bit." Branch insisted, helping Rosiepuff to her feet.

"Yeah, I think your right." Branch led Rosiepuff to her room and laid her down gently in her bed and pulled the covers over her. Within a few minutes Rosiepuff was out. Branch pulled up a chair and sat next to her in concern. This was the first time in a while that Rosiepuff actually had seizure and even though they was able to get it to stop, it scared him to death.

As Branch stared at Rosiepuff as she slept Poppy walked in quietly also sporting a concerned look on her face. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I think so." Branch replied "She's had epilepsy for several years now. Usually we can keep it under control but every now and then she has a spell. It scares me to death every time she has one because I fear each time that she might not make it out of it alive."

"You care about her a lot I can tell."

"She's the only family I have left. I lost both of my parents to those bergen monsters. Heck, it was their death that caused me to move me and Grandma here in the desert, as far away from those demons as possible."

"I understand Branch, but living out here alone, without no doctors is dangerous for your Grandma. Eden has some great doctors that can give Rosiepuff the care she needs. I know your hesitant about Eden. But it truly is the safest place for not just you but for your grandma to." Poppy then took Branch by both hands and stared at him with pleading eyes. "Branch please, come with me down to Eden. You won't have to live in fear there, Rosiepuff can have the help she needs, and you can be happy again. If you don't do it for yourself at least do it for her."

Branch looked at his grandma and sighed. She would have better help then what Branch could provide. All he could do was get her medicine, real doctors could actually treat and take care of her.

"Fine, how long will it take?"

"If we go by vehicle and limit our stops for only gasoline then it will only be a three day trip."

"Fine, we leave tomorrow after breakfast."

"Oh Branch I know for a fact you will love it there."

Across the Canadian border in Eden Creek arrived to the front gates. The gates were guarded by a couple of good bergen guards, who were posted their to defend the place from any of Chef's men.

"Chad, Todd, open the gates." Creek ordered. When the two bergens saw who it was they immediately opened the gates and let Creek and the other trolls inside. Once there Creek was greeted by the head of Eden, Peppy, a elderly burgundy colored troll with wild messy pink hair that had mostly gone grey and a thick pink mustache. Peppy also walked with support of a cane.

"Where the devil have you been Creek? You were supposed to be back two days ago."

"I went down south to get us some of the good stuff instead of the crap they serve up north." Creek replied as he started unloading

"You went down South, in deep Bergen territory?" Peppy gasped angrily. "You know how dangerous it is down there that is why I had it forbidden." It was as the other trolls in the truck piled out that Peppy noticed someone important was missing.

"Where's Poppy, where's my daughter?"

"She didn't make it." Cooper cried

"Creek left her behind." Biggie stormed off, to angry at Creek's decision to help unload.

"What!?" Peppy growled glaring at Creek. Creek just sighed in annoyance.

"Some bergens started attacking us, Poppy got pinned in as we loaded the last box. A bergen pointed a R.P.G at our truck so I made the extremely tough decision to leave her behind."

"You left my daughter trapped by some bergens ALONE?!"

"Hey I had to decide between her life or ours."

"SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!"

"Relax you still have the twins."

Peppy started to lung at Creek for that comment, he might would have attacked him if Satin and Chenille hadn't held him back.

"Father please don't he's not worth it," Satin replied. Peppy quickly calmed down and glared as Creek unloaded the last box.

"Your forbidden from ever going on any supply runs again."

"Fine," Creek sighed not really caring.

"DADDY!" A young troll boy cried out. The kid was about the age of three and had sky blue skin and silver hair. He came came running up and grabbed Creek by the legs. "Where's mommy?"

"Mommy's gone kid." Creek brushed the child off of him.

"What? Where mommy go?" Creek didn't respond as he just stormed off, leaving the boy confused. Guy Diamond growled at Creek's heartlessness and bent down to comfort the now scared boy.

"Mommy will be back soon Winter." Guy Diamond didn't know if it was a lie or not but he didn't care. He didn't have the heart to tell a three year old that his mother got left behind with some bergens.

"Oh Okay." Winter replied "How soon?"

"I don't know but soon. Hey right don't you go and play with some of the other troll kids for a little bit."

"Okay." Winter replied cheerfully and ran off. With Winter taken care of Guy Diamond turned to find Creek so he could give him the major ass chewing he deserved.

To no surprise he found Creek in the bar, drowning down what looked like his third shot of bourbon.

"What is wrong with you man?" Guy Diamond snapped.

"Explain?" Creek replied.

"Poppy is gone, your son needs you right now more than ever right now and you just brush him off."

"That child was not born out of love," Creek snapped. "The only reason he exist is because our lives depended on it."

"Poppy didn't care, he still loved that child no matter what the reason behind his berth was. Why can't you?"

"I see that child, and all I see it what those bergen monsters did to us."

"Doesn't matter why he was born. He is still your son, you have to treat him like he is. Winter needs you right now more than ever right now. Poppy is gone and she might never come back. The child needs a parent in his life."

Creek sighed and finished off his fourth shot of bourbon. He then took out a twenty dollar bill and laid it on the table to pay for his drink. "Okay fine. Where is he?"

Creek and Guy Diamond found Winter in Poppy's house playing with some stuffed animals that Poppy bought for him. Creek didn't know the first thing about parenting. Once Winter was born Creek just let Poppy raise the child, Creek didn't once raise a finger. Breathing a nervous sigh Creek knelt down beside his son.

"What are you doing son?"

"Playing." Winter replied, not even looking up at Creek as he played with his stuffed toys.

"Can I get you anything?"

"I'm hungry, can you fix me a hot dog?"

"I guess." Creek sighed as he got up and went to the kitchen. He boiled some water and put a wiener on to boil. Once the dog was cooked enough Creek put it on a bun and put on some Sauerkraut on top before squirting on some mustard. He placed the finished dog on a paper plate and walked into the dining room and placed it on the table where Winter was waiting. Winter cringed in disgust when he saw what was on his plate.

"What is that?"

"It's your hot dog, you asked for it." Creek replied

"What's that on top of it?"

"Sauerkraut, why?" Creek asked annoyed.

"I don't like sauerkraut."

"Eat it, it's good for you."

"I don't like it."

"Fine than you can just starve!" Creek threw his hands up in disgust and marched off. Guy Diamond just face palmed, embarrassed at Creek's behavior. He really did know nothing about kid raising.

"I'll fix you another hot dog." Guy Diamond said in a smooth and loving voice. "One without sauerkraut."

"Can I have ketchup too instead of mustard."

"Well I never put ketchup on my hot dogs but sure why not?"

"Mr. Guy Diamond." Winter suddenly asked "Does daddy not like me."

Guy Diamond paused and turned back to Winter, he really didn't know how to answer this question.

"Your daddy..." Guy Diamond sighed "Is going through some rough emotions right now. But he will be okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Guy Diamond smiled even though he figured it was a lie. "Now let's get you that hot dog you want."

Back in Vegas A group of vehicles pulled up to the store that got raided by Poppy and the other trolls. A female bergen, dressed in a decorated military attire stepped out of a military jeep and expected the damage. There was bodies of bergens everywhere. Some had been shot, others had been blown up, others had been sliced to bits. A charred carcass of one bergen laid next to a exploded propane tank. His charred body burn so bad it was unrecognizable.

"Who do you think could have done this General Chef?"

"Trolls Captain William." Chef replied Trolls did this." Chef then noticed a strand of pink hair lying on the ground next to some bloody foot prints. Chef picked up the hair strand and smiled when she recognized who it belonged to."

"Poppy!" Chef's eyes followed the direction of the bloody footprints. "And I think I know which way she headed." Chef pointed west. "Follow the direction of those footprints."

"But general, that will lead up straight into the desert?"

"Well pack you some water then Major Shark." Chef growled. "I think we have found one of our missing trolls."

 **I bet you are all so confused right now. Don't worry, everything will be explained here in a upcoming chapter soon, especially the relationship status between Poppy and Creek. Don't worry Broppy is still the main ship in this story and the reason behind Poppy's son with Creek will be explained in full later.**

 **Till then, hope to see you all back next chapter.**


	4. A Extreme chase

_Branch's Journal, Time: Eight thirty A:M, Date: August 29th 2029_

 _A girl has entered my life, the first troll me and my Grandma has seen in over a year, she says she can get us to a place called Eden, a safe haven from trolls far away from any of the evil Bergens trying to exterminate us. Do I believe her yet? I'm not entirely sure, but what choice do I have? My life has been haunted by the horrors of this war for the past four years that even though I'm not sure if I can entirely trust her, I am willing to take the chance, more for my grandma's sake then my own._

 _Every night I have nightmares back to the day, the day the bergens attacked us. Me and my Band NSANE were performing a concert out in Minneapolis Minnesota. It was the first show for Me and my boys, Timber, Stream, and Chase that was intended to kick off a two year world tour. We were just at the halfway point of our concert, we had finished singing "Rock That Body" And was just getting started singing "It's gonna be me" when the bergens army stormed in and started opening fire. The crowds instantly started to clear, with panicked trolls all trying to get to the exit. At the time I was just a spoiled collage aged kid who didn't have a brave bone in my body. As a result I ducked behind the stage cowering in fear. The rest of my boys though, they leaped of the stage and tried their hardest to stop the attack._

 _Chef had her men grab every troll they could get their hands on, abducting them and pulling them away screaming. I didn't know what their plans for those poor trolls and I felt bad for them, but I just to scared to help them._

 _I remember the last time I saw my band, they were using their hair to try to pull a screaming female troll from a bergens grasp when three more bergens came from behind and abducted them, putting them in cages and dragging them away._

 _They never saw me as they exited the stadium, taking my band and half of our audience with them. Every day I struggle with guilt, angry that I was to scared to fight back, angry that I cowered behind a stage while my friends got abducted by that monster. My Grandma kept telling me that there was nothing that I could do, that if I fought back I would have been taken too. Maybe she was right, but I still am haunted each night, the visions of my friends being taken spinning through my mind, wondering if maybe, just maybe, if I had acted maybe I could of saved them._

Branch closed his journal and stuffed it in his hair as he got up and got dressed. Today was the day, the day that they were to leave Branch's bunker that he had lived in for four years, and head to Eden.

Branch walked past the bathroom and noticed that the door was open a crack, not enough for him to be spotted but enough for him to see Poppy getting dressed after a shower. She wasn't naked, but Branch still felt awkward seeing a girl he had just met yesterday in only her bra and panties. Thankfully her back was turned so Poppy didn't notice him, otherwise it probably would of ended with a scream and a black eye. Normally Branch would just turn away, feeling embarrassed and awkward at the scene, but something on Poppy's back got his attention. It was a tattoo, but not your normal type of tattoo, this was a series of number, like a serial number or ID number, and it was tattooed down Poppy's spine. Why would Poppy have numbers tattooed down her back? What was she not telling him?

"What are you doing?" Branch jumped when he heard his grandma sneaked up on him.

"Grandma... I was just... the door was open and I didn't know she was..." Branch stuttered, trying to find a way to explain this embarrassing situation.

"Oh no need to explain." Rosiepuff smirked "I know how you are with pretty ladies. It's not like this is the first time you have seen a girl you barely know naked."

"Did you read my journal again?"

"I read it every night when you got to sleep, pluck it gently out of your hair without you noticing. You only think I go to sleep before you."

"That's it, when we get to Eden I am locking that thing up somewhere where you won't find it."

"Oh hi everyone." Poppy said with a smile as she exited the bathroom after finishing getting dressed. "Sorry if I was hogging the bathroom to long. Also I used up all the hot water so if you want a shower it's going to have to be cold.

"Well so much for that." Branch griped, "I'll just make due with deodorant till we get to Eden I guess. Hopefully I can still have breakfast, or did you eat up all the food too?"

"No silly?" Poppy laughed "But I did pack all your cooking utensils and put them in the truck, so you will just have to make do with cereal, I left three bowls and spoons out for us and packed everything else up."

"Geez, did you even sleep last night?" Branch asked as he blindly reached for where he kept his coffee mugs only to realize there was none there... and his coffee maker was gone. "Please don't tell me..."

"Yep, packed that up too, only kept the essentials."

"My morning coffee is as essential as you can get." Branch growled.

"Oh don't worry, you can pick some up when we stop to get gas."

"Fine but I'm going to be grumpy till then."

"Anyway," Poppy said changing the subject, "What type of cereal do you want? I have two kinds that I got from the raid," Poppy held up to boxes "Captain Crunch, or Raisin Brand."

"Who cares?" Branch replied.

"Come on," Poppy said "Which one do you like?"

Which ever one is healthiest I guess."

"Raisin Brand it is." Poppy said tossing Branch the box, she then pulled out two different types of milk from the refrigerator. "Now what type of milk do you want with it? Whole or Skim?"

"It's milk for gods sake," Branch replied annoyed "It's all the same."

"Actually whole milk and Skim milk is completely different, see whole milk is..."

"I don't care about the difference." Branch interrupted "Fine, hand me the whole milk so I can have my breakfast and we can finish packing and leave as soon as possible."

Poppy smiled as she handed Branch the whole milk, She then sat down and poured herself a bowl of raisin brand and sat down to eat next to Branch. "I can't wait to get back to Eden. I am dying to see my son again."

"You have a kid?" Branch replied surprised. Poppy looked pretty young to already have a kid, she couldn't be no more than in her early twenties.

"Yeah, Winter, he's three."

"Oh," Branch looked down at Poppy's hand and noticed she didn't have a wedding band on. "You don't have a wedding ring on so I wouldn't have guessed."

"Oh I'm not married."

"Is it with a Ex husband?" .

"Nope, never been married at all?"

"A boyfriend?"

"Not really." Poppy's expression was getting less happy and more irritated, like she wanted the subject to change

"Ex boyfriend?"

"Look it doesn't matter." Poppy suddenly snapped, taking Branch by surprise. Noticing her sudden outburst Poppy took a deep breath and calmed down. "Sorry, it's just, Winter was not born for the reasons most kids are born."

Branch wanted to ask further but he could tell that Poppy was nearly in tears just thinking about whatever was the reason behind her son's birth. Branch didn't know what was going on in Poppy's head, but whatever it was Branch could tell it was painful for Poppy. Deciding it was best to let the subject go Branch finished his breakfast without saying another word.

After Breakfast Branch, Rosiepuff and Poppy got busy packing the rest of their things. Branch made it clear he wanted to be leave as quickly as possible. Poppy, quickly washed the breakfast dishes and put them in a box with the rest of the dishes before taking them to the truck. She then went to Rosiepuff's room to help her pack. Due to her old age Rosiepuff couldn't bend down or stretch like Branch or Poppy could, making packing a challenge for her. Luckily Poppy was able to lend a helping hand. Poppy finished filling a box with some of Rosiepuff's favorite gowns and taped it shut. She was about to head out and take it to the truck when she saw Branch walking by with a box of his own.

"Oh Branch can you be a doll and take this to the truck with you?"

"You got two perfectly working legs."

"I know but I don't want to leave Rosiepuff to pack alone."

"Do you not see my hands full?" Branch griped "I can barely see in front of me right now!"

"I can take the box it's not that heavy," Rosiepuff replied.

"You sure?" Poppy asked.

"I'm old but I'm not completely helpless." Rosiepuff took the box from Poppy's hand and followed her grandson outside while Poppy began another box. The two of them reached the truck when they noticed about five military style vehicles driving up to their bunker. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know who those vehicle's belonged to.

"Chef," Branch gasped as he sat his box down in the bed of his truck. "What is she doing here?"

Chef stopped her vehicle right just a couple feet from where Branch was standing. As she got out Branch placed himself in front of Rosiepuff, ready to shield her encase Chef attacked. To his surprise Chef just looked at him with a mischievous grin and open arms.

"Please take control ladies and gentlemen, I come in peace."

"Peace? Is that what you call nearly wiping our entire species out of existence."

"Yes, yes, I am quite aware of my... extreme reputation, but I ensure you I mean you no harm."

"Yeah well forgive me if I don't buy that."

"Sir, normally talking to me in a tone like that would cause me to cause serious harm to you but since I am in a good mood today I am willing to make a deal with you."

"What do you want?"

"The girl, Poppy."

"How do you know she's here?" Branch gasped as his eyes widened in shock.

"Oh it wasn't hard. She slaughtered multiple bergens yesterday and left a hair at the scene of the crime as well as a blood trail. I followed the trail of blood and it led me right here. Now, here's my offer, you will hand over Poppy peacefully, and I won't have to kill you or your grandmother."

"Go to hell."

"If you wish." Chef then struck Branch in the face knocking him to the ground. Rosiepuff screamed only to be knocked to the ground herself. Chef put her foot on Branch's back and held a gun up to the back of his head, another bergen soldier did the same with Rosiepuff.

"Search the bunker," Chef ordered. "Use force if you have to but I want Poppy brought to me alive."

"Yes General."

Branch hollered out for Poppy, trying to warn her of the danger, but Chef struck Branch in the back of the head, ordering him to be quite.

"I would love for this to be done without any bloodshed. Please don't make me kill you."

Poppy was still in Rosiepuff's room, finishing packing a box of Rosiepuff's nick knacks, humming a happy melody to herself.

"Don't move Poppy." Poppy froze as she heard a threatening voice. She turned her head and saw two Bergen soldiers behind her pointing their guns straight at her.

"General Chef we have found Poppy, bringing her to you now."

"Excellent," Chef smiled before she looked down to Branch with a taunting smile. "Well looks like today's your lucky day. I won't have to kill you."

"No," Branch cried "Poppy!"

Chef's attention was suddenly attracted to the sound of screaming and gunfire coming from the inside.

"I thought I told those two dumb asses not to kill her!" Chef growled as she picked up her pager. "Brady, Nick what's going on in their?" No answer came out "Brady, Nick pick up dammit!"

It was then that everyone saw the front door open and Poppy walk out. Only she was covered in blood and walked out alone. Chef raised a eyebrow and tilted her head in confusion as to why her two soldiers weren't there with her. Suddenly Poppy pulled the heads of the bergens out of her hair and tossed them toward Chef, the heads rolled slowly over to her feet.

Realizing what she did Chef growled and turned to her other men. "Get her!"

Seeing what Poppy did gave Branch all the motivation he needed, he pulled out a knife from his hair and stabbed Chef in the foot. Chef screamed in agony as Branch yanked her gun from her hand and shot the bergen soldier holding Rosiepuff. Branch fired at a couple more bergens, hitting them as he pulled Rosiepuff to the truck and hollered out for Poppy.

"Come on let's go we got to get out of here now!"

Poppy slid under a bergen's leg, stabbing him in his heel and grabbed him, using him as a shield she walked to the truck. Several bergens opened fire but all they hit was the bergen soldier that Poppy was using as her shield. After about a dozen bullets, Poppy dropped the dead bergen soldier and ran to the drivers seat where Branch was already sitting.

"Uh, uh. I'm driving!" Poppy demanded.

"What? This is my truck!"

"I know but I know where we are going you don't!"

"We don't have time to argue!" Rosiepuff screamed, "Chef's men are trying to kill us, just let the girl drive already!"

"Fine!" Branch gave in annoyed "But I swear if you get one scratch on it I'm gonna...!" Branch couldn't finish as he saw a bergen about to fire at Poppy, he pushed Poppy down and fired his gun, shooting the bergen in the chest. Branch ran out of the truck and continued to fire at the bergens as Poppy got in the driver's seat. Once inside Poppy started up the engine, one of Branch's CD's started to play the song "Supplies" as they sped away just as fast as the truck could.

"After them!" Chef screamed getting into her jeep, "We can't let them get away!"

"I hope you have a plan on losing these people," Branch said as he looked behind him and saw Chef and her army following pursuit.

"Trust me, I do!" Poppy made a sharp left with the steering wheel... straight towards where a barb wired fence was.

"Wait what are you doing?" Branch screamed. He soon got his answer as Poppy drove straight into the fence, the fence caught to the bumper of the truck causing eight feet of fence to drag along with her.

"I said not a single scratch!"

"If I was you I would worry more about bullet holes then a stupid scratch!" Poppy replied harshly "Now hold still." Poppy then did a dohnut in the middle of the rode, causing the dangling fence to swing wildly in the air.

"That troll is a nutcase," Chef replied surprised. As Poppy spun the truck the barb wire pierced the tires of two of the bergen's jeeps. Causing them to spin out of control and smash into each other. Poppy then turned the truck and started speeding across the desert again, the fence falling of the truck.

"Are you trying to get us killed?!" Branch scolded

"Are you always this annoying?" Poppy snapped back trying to concentrate on escaping the bergens.

"Only when someone is trying to get us killed!"

"Hold on tight again everyone this is going to be close!"

"Close what are you talking about?" It was then that Branch heard the sound of a oncoming train. Branch turned to see Poppy was approaching a railroad tracks, a train was approaching and Poppy was speeding up.

"Oh no!" Branch screamed "Oh no don't you even think about it!"

She was, she pressed the gas pedal as hard as she could, flooring Branch's truck.

"Are you out of your mind!" Branch screamed

"Just hang on!"

"What is she doing?" Chef asked, surprised to see Poppy driving towards a oncoming train. "Keep following pursuit." Chef ordered the jeep ahead of her, "We are not losing them."

"But General there is a oncoming train."

"That is a order Sergeant. Do it!"

Branch held on to his seat as hard as he could as they raced towards the train tracks, saying a quick prayer and fingering a cross throw his chest, the train was not slowing down, and the bergens behind them was speeding up. It was either death by train or bergens, Branch was really second guessing not handing Poppy over when he had the chance.

"This is going to be close." Poppy hollered "Maybe by a foot at best.

"Oh I can't look." Rosiepuff closed her eyes, if they were going to be crushed she didn't want to see it coming. Poppy crossed the railroad tracks, just barley missing the train by a little over a foot. The Bergen jeep behind them though wasn't so lucky. Refusing to slam the breaks they got crushed by the train. The jeep was sent flying through the air and hit the ground crushed like a soda can, the two bergen soldiers in their killed on impact. Chef stopped her jeep when they noticed their was no beating the train, and glared angrily as Poppy and the other two had gotten away.

"We made it." Poppy let out a relieved sigh.

"Don't ever freaking do that again!" Branch scolded his life flashing before his eyes.

"Oh I thought I was going to have a heart attack." Rosiepuff said hyperventilating.

"We're safe now." Poppy said "We escaped Chef's army it should be smooth sailings from here. We just need to make as much distance between us as possible and hope that train is a long one."

"How did Chef know you Poppy?" Branch demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Chef was not interested in either me or Grandma, she was even willing to let us live if we turned you over to her. What is your connection with Chef, how does she know you, and what the bloody hell is going on?"

"My connection with Chef is none of your business." Poppy replied sternly not even looking toward Branch as she continued to drive.

Branch had it, Poppy just nearly got them all killed and now she was refusing to give him answers as to why. Refusing to let it go, Branch snatched the wheel from Poppy's hands and swerved the truck behind some bushes, hit the breaks and yanked the keys out of ignition, stuffing them in his hair.

"Hey give those back, we need to get as much distance between Chef as possible."

"Not until you tell us your connection to her. Why is she after you? How does she know your name? Why is there a number tattooed on your back?"

Poppy's eyes lit up at that last question.

"Yeah I know about your back tattoo, pretty unique, next time you should close the door all the way if your going to get changed." Branch continued. "You nearly all just got us killed back there and if you think I am just going to sit back and not ask why then you are a fool. Give me some damn answers now!"

Poppy sighed in defeat, she really didn't want to bring up her painful past, but she also needed to get them as far away from here as possible. That train was not going to last forever, and Chef was not going to give up pursuit.

"Fine I will tell you everything. But first give me back the keys so we can get the hell out of here."

"Fair enough." Branch agreed, tossing Poppy back the keys so she could start the motor.

"I will warn you though." Poppy said as they started driving down the road again. "What I am about to tell you, will scar you for life. You think you know the history of the war? You don't know shit. What Chef did to me, and thousands of other trolls, is something straight out of a horror movie. You sure your ready to know the truth?"

"I am."

"Well then..." Poppy sighed "Let's begin."

 **Next chapter might just be one of the darkest and most disturbing things i have ever wrote, warning you in advance.**

 **Song Credits is "Rock that Body" and "Supplies" By Justin Timberlake. "Supplies" is from JT's new Album "Man of the Woods." Listen to it if you haven't already.**

 **"It's gonna be" Is by NYSCE**

 **Till next time everyone.**


	5. Red meat

**Well this didn't turn out as dark as I originally had in mind. Oh don't get me wrong it's still dark but compared to what i was originally going to do with this it's toned down quite a bit.**

 **Oh and the chapter for this title is taken from a Harley Quinn story that I borrowed from a little. More on that at the end of the chapter.**

 **Reby Montana: Poppy is a lot like good old Harley Quinn, her fighting style is supposed to be a mix between Harley and Laura A.K.A X-23 from the X-men movie "Logan**

 **Sortiz327. Your right Poppy is bad ass. And the scene where Branch watched Poppy get dressed was supposed to play out a bit more serious as Branch wondered where her tattoos on her back came from but I felt really awkward writing the scene so i decided to make Branch feel the same way so I made the scene more humorous.**

 **Riverajocabed1 I did indeed borrow elements from the holocaust and this chapter will actually feel more like a holocaust/ World War 2 story. Despite how evil World War 2 was it was still one of my favorite events to study about in history class and when i thought up of this scene in the story i knew I wanted to give it the holocaust feel in order to up the danger. And I am very pleased how it turned out.**

 _I remember when I was a little girl all I wanted to be when I grew up was a actor. I wanted to be on the stage, singing, dancing, living it up on Broadway. It was all I ever wanted in life. Shortly after my eighteenth birthday, my parents took me and my sisters to New York. Saying they had me a audition for a upcoming performance of "The Little Mermaid." I was so excited, I was finally being given my chance to live my dream._

 _We were just entering New York when the streets got blocked off. Chef had her men block off the streets. Ensuring no troll escaped. Chef forced us out of our car, putting us all in chains as they led us away. I remember hearing my sisters screaming and my mother cradling them as we were loaded into their trucks, along with more than two hundred other trolls. We had no idea what they were going to do with us, all I knew was that I was scared. My father kept telling me that it was going to be all right, but I could tell in the sound of his voice that it was a lie. He tried his best to hide it but he was just as scared as all of us. None more than my younger sisters Satin and Chenille. They were sobbing in my mother's arms, crying "I don't want to die, I don't want to die."_

" _Your not going to die," My mother ensured "I refuse to let that happen." Despite her best efforts, it did nothing to calm my sisters down, they were shaking in fear and cried the entire long trip to our destination, awaiting whatever horrifying fate awaited us._

 _What awaited us was more horrifying than what any of us could ever imagine. When they piled us and the more than two hundred other trolls out of the truck, they led us in chains up to a concentration camp. A highly guarded prison with a twenty foot barbed wired fence with guards posted at every exit. The first thing they made us do when we arrived was strip down to our underwear, tattooing a identification number on each of our backs. I will never forget what Chef said to us afterwords. When she explained why they abducted us and what they were going to do to us, it still gives me nightmares to this day."_

" _Why have you brought us here?" Chenille cried "We weren't harming anyone."  
_

" _Why for food reasons of course."_

" _Food?" I gasped, my skin turning more and more pale by the second._

" _Yes," Chef laughed "See the original plan was to wipe your pathetic kind off the Earth like we did with the humans, goblins and elves. But then one of my chief Lieutenants gave me another idea. See this world is overpopulated, and with over populations we are running out of food. Sure we will always have fruits and vegetables as long as we have good soil and rain to help it grow. But we are running out of animals to eat. We are almost out of cows, and we have hunted all the deer and buffalo to extinction and we are running out of fish. So we need some more meat for produce. So instead of just simply wiping you out of existence, instead we will use you as cattle, livestock."_

" _You can't do this?" I gasped_

" _Oh but I can, and I will. You trolls will breed for us, ensuring that we never run out of your kind. When you are no longer capable of producing babies, you will then be slaughtered, your meat packaged and shipped out for the bergens to eat."_

" _No!?" Satin cried "Your sadistic."_

" _You ever heard of Adolph Hitler?" Chef laughed "Despite the facts that the humans were a bunch of weak and pathetic souls there was one that I always admired. Hitler, he had power, and he knew how to enforce those powers. He knew how to get people to fear him, obey him, and he wasn't afraid to try to commit genocide to get where he wanted in life. He inspired me, and now I am going to do what he never could."_

" _Your pure evil." I cried_

" _I am necessary evil."_

 _Chef then had the doctors run tests on all of us, seeing who was capable and not capable of bearing children. Me, my sisters and father all deemed capable of still bearing children, mother unfortunately wasn't. Me and my sisters screamed and begged as the bergens came and started dragging our mother away. Even our father, as strong as he was even begged for Chef not to take her, offering himself in her place. Chef just knocked our father against the wall, causing him to hit his head against the wall and get knocked unconscious._

" _Poppy, Satin, Chenille, stay strong." Our mother cried as she tried to stay strong despite her obvious terror. "Take care of your father for me."_

 _That was the last words she ever said to us. The guards held us back with cattle prods as Chef led our mother away to the slaughter house. We never saw her again.  
The next four years was literally like living in hell. They kept four or five of us locked up in a single tiny cell only letting us out once a week to force us to try to breed. They each picked a mate for us at random. The mate they chose for me was Creek. I could tell off the bat that I didn't like him a whole lot. His attitude was horrible even by prisoner standards. I didn't dare argue the decision though, if I refused to at least try to breed then I would end up getting slaughtered my own self. So even though I didn't like his personality, nor found him that attractive to be honest I went along with it. _

_They had us breed one at a time, locking the two partners in a small room with a small wooden table for the females to lay on. To this day I still don't know what the worst part was, the fact that I was forced to make love with a guy I barely knew and didn't like, the fact that I had to lay on top of a cold table completely naked for a hour while the guy had his way with me, or the fact that a bergen guard sat in the room keeping guard while watching us do it the whole time? I was completely broken during those times. Despite my mother's final wishes I just couldn't stay strong. Week after week when I was forced back into my cell after those horrifying events I just laid on the floor crying. My spirit had never been more shattered, and often times wished for death just to escape this nightmare._

 _After the second month there, and having forced for the tenth time to have sex with Creek, I did end up getting pregnant. I was then transferred to a different area in the camp until the baby was born. Satin and Chenille joined me there a month later each pregnant with their own child as well. Usually the news of a upcoming baby would be cause for massive celebration. My father would pass out cigars to the rest of the family members and we would throw a massive party. But all the joy that would usually come with a upcoming baby was replaced with the reality that was what this kid would be raised into. A world that you would either have kids or get eaten and once all of us were no longer able to have kids we would be slaughtered and eaten. I couldn't imagine raising a kid in this type of world, and instead of celebrating the news of a baby, I got on my knees and prayed to whoever the hell was listening to get me out of hear._

" _Please," I begged "If there is a god up there I am begging you get us out of here. My child deserves a life better then this, he deserves a life where he doesn't have to fear about someday winding up on a plate. Please, am asking for a miracle."_

 _After nine months I gave birth to a son, a light blue troll boy with silver hair. I named him Winter, after my favorite season. I instantly fell in love with him and cried over his birth. As I held him in my arms for that first time, his blue eyes staring back at me I knew I couldn't let my son grow up in a world like this._

" _I promise." I whispered to him "Even though you were not born out of love I still love you regardless and I also promise that we will get out of here someday, even though I don't know how._

 _Me and Winter was sent back to our own cell a week after Winter was born. Chef told me that after a year she would have me and Creek start making another baby. She wasn't bluffing, as soon as Winter turned one year old Chef drug me and Creek out of our cells again and instantly made us go back to making love hoping to get me pregant yet again, that cold table felt just as freezing on my bare back as I remembered._

 _I don't know why, but after the birth of Winter I found myself becoming more strong. I guess with the fact that I was now a mother and had a little one to protect I forced myself to toughen up. I no longer prayed for death after those humiliating experiences, but instead trying to find ways to get myself and the tens of thousands other trolls trapped in that camp out of there._

 _The one thing I remember that truly horrified me after the birth of Winter was when I witnessed first hand what Chef did to a troll when they slaughtered them. In our third year at the camp Chef had her men do their annual test to make sure if we were still fertile. One of the trolls in our cage was deemed non fertile and sentenced to be slaughtered. When Chef came and drug him away she accidentally forgot to lock the cell back up. Curious, I followed behind, making sure I wasn't seen as I followed to see what happened to the poor guy. When Chef closed the door to the slaughter house I sneaked a peek through the window to see what happened. What I witnessed, well, lets just say I wished I had stayed in my cage and behaved._

 _The stripped the guy naked and hung him by his feet on a meat hook. Then, taking a pressure washer they sprayed every inch of his body, cleaning all the dirt and filth off of him. Chef just laughed as the poor guy screamed in pain as the pressure water beat hard against his skin. What I saw next made me almost lose my lunch. She took a butcher knife and slashed the troll's throat and wrists letting his blood spill across the tile floor. I didn't wait to watch Chef dismember him, I ran for my life._

 _Not watching were I was going, I bumped into a troll guard. She looked down at me in surprise and saw how scared I was._

" _Please don't report me!" I begged "I'm sorry I got out of my cell."_

" _You look scared." The female guard said looking down at me with pity._

" _I am, I don't want to die, I don't want to end up like that poor guy in the slaughter house."_

 _I don't know why but the female guard took pity on me that day, and led me back calmly to my cell, talking to me in a smooth almost motherly voice._

" _What's your name mam?" The guard asked_

" _Poppy,"_

" _I'm Bridget, and I think I might be able to help you."_

 _I was surprised when she told me that, considering I didn't think any bergen wanted to help us. "What do you mean."_

" _I was drafted into Chef's army. I was told I either had to join or she would have me and my entire family killed. Chef has the entire world under her control and rules them with a brutal and unforgiving fist. Many of us in Chef's on army doesn't agree with her tyrant ways but goes along with her out of fear for own safety. But we might have a way out for you."_

" _How?" I asked_

" _My husband who was also drafted has discovered a group of mountains in the Canadian border. It's tall enough to keep you out of sight and out of Chef's radar. Us bergens don't like the cold that much so Canada is one of the few places that Chef has left almost untouched after bombing it. We are planning to commit treason here in a few months and attempt a escape. Just hold on until then Poppy."_

" _I will try."_

 _It wasn't easy, but knowing that there was still hope out there for us gave me the strength to hold on, even during the painful, forced sexual moments between me and Creek._

 _The last few months were made a little easier however when me and one of my cellmates started forming a romantic bond. His name was Timber, a orange troll with red hair, and a very beautiful singing voice. After my forced sexual moments with Creek he would often hold me and sing softly to me to calm me down. I didn't know it at first but I was actually falling in love with him. Apparently he was falling in love with me too because during the final week there after my last sexual encounter with Creek, after Timber calmed me down I actually planted a kiss on his cheeks and he returned with a kiss on my lips that I gladly accepted. At night during that last week I cuddled up to where he was sleeping and laid next to him, his body heat kept me warm and helped me drift peacefully to sleep._

 _We continued sleeping together up until the escape. Several of Chef's guards turned on her and started gunning down Chef's other men as they raced for our cages. Unlocking them they started leading us to the exit's handing us guns, grenades and other weapons to fight back. The battle quickly became a blood bath, bodies of several bergens on both sides fell in a pool of blood. Chef ordered for none of the trolls to be killed stating they needed us alive to breed. That didn't keep the bergens from shooting at us however, many of them aimed for our legs and shoulders hoping to wound us and slow us down._

 _As we ran, Winter tripped and hurt his leg, I turned around to help him on his feet but doing so caused one of the bad bergens to grab us. Timber heard my screams for help and turned around firing his assault rifle at my capture killing him. Timber just helped me to my feet when he got shot in the back of the leg and wounded._

" _Timber!" I cried in horror as I saw him fall to the floor holding his leg. Timber saw all the trolls were being loaded in the four getaway trucks, being driven by Chad, Todd, Bridget and her husband Gristle Jr. He then saw more then a dozen bad bergens running towards us. Realizing he was not going to get out of there in time Timber decided to make the ultimate sacrifice._

" _Get yourself and Winter out of hear, I'll ensure they won't reach you."_

" _No Timber I'm not leaving you behind."_

" _You have no choice, You can't carry your son and me both. This way you can ensure your son has a future. One that he doesn't have to constantly live in fear. Your son deserves that."_

" _But Timber I..." Timber pulled me towards him and planted a final kiss on my lips._

 _"Goodbye Poppy."_

 _Tears streaming down my face I turned and ran to the trucks knowing that I would never see Timber again. As I reached the truck driven by Bridget and piled in I turned and saw Timber limp to his feet and pull out a grenade. The bergens paused in there tracks realizing what he was about to do. Timber gave a wicked smirk pulled the pin and dropped the grenade at his feet. "See you in hell motherfu...!" The grenade exploded, blowing himself, the bergens and the entire camp up in flames. My father held me tightly in his arms and him and my sisters comforted me and I screamed and wept over Timber. He saved my life that day, but as a result sacrificed his own in the process._

"Chef lost a lot of men that day" Poppy said as she finished up her story "But sadly she survived her own self, and now she has recruited more men in their place to try to track us down. That's why she was only interested in me Branch, because I was one of the trolls in that camp, she believes if she captures me that she can force me to spill out the location of Eden. But I will never give her it's location. She will literally have to kill me first."

"That's absolutely horrifying," Rosiepuff gasped when Poppy finished her story. "I can't imagine being forced to live through something like that."

"Hold on a second." Branch said as something caught his mind "You mentioned your former boyfriend's name was Timber, was there a Stream and Chase in that camp too?"

"Actually there was, why do you ask?"

"That was my former band NSANE!" Branch gasped "I got to know, is any of them still alive?"

"Unfortunately no." Poppy answered, her head hanging low in sadness. "Stream and Chase were both slaughtered a few months before the escape after no longer being considered fertile. And I already mentioned that what happened to Timber."

"I can't believe it." Branch sighed as realization kicked in. "Their, dead, my whole band is dead, I'm the last of my band.

"And you can make sure to honor their memory by surviving. Your band may be gone Branch, but your still here, you can make sure they didn't die for nothing."

Branch closed his eyes and hung his head in mourning as he mourned the lost of his friends. He knew Poppy was right however, he could make sure their deaths weren't meaningless and he would honor their lives as soon as they reached Eden. He also knew however that he was going to avenge their deaths as well. He really hoped they ran into Chef again, because if they did he would personally kill her himself.

 **Okay remember how I mentioned that I borrowed from a Harley Quinn comic for this story. Well there was a three issue story line entitled "Red Meat" where Harley went after a group of cannibals that were hired by the corrupt mayor to get rid of the homeless people in Brooklyn by abducting and eating them. Seeing similarities between this chapter and the story I borrowed a scene where the cannibals had a couple homeless guys hung naked on a meet hook and sprayed with a power washer to be cleaned, only replacing the homeless people with a troll.**

 **The scene was scary and a bit disturbing but I felt it added to this chapter and made it a bit more scary. Hope I didn't scare you to bad and hope to see you come back next chapter.**


	6. Bonding time

**Apparently despite how dark the last chapter was i didn't end up scaring people. Darn, guess i should have went with my original plan for the chapter.**

 **This chapter is a lot less dark and is actually just a bunch of talking hoping to work on characterization some more and just have Branch and Poppy bond some.**

 **One more thing this chapter does talk about religion some, I know it is a very, _very,_ touchy subject but I think I wrote it in a way that won't offend anybody regardless of religion. **

For the next couple of hours nobody said a word, the only noise coming from Branch's music blaring through the CD player. Branch was still coming to grasp with the loss of his band mates. Yes he saw them get captured during their last concert, yes he figured none of them was alive. But to finally hear what happened to them, it was like losing them all over again. He couldn't imagine what went through Stream and Chase's head as they hanged upside down naked from that meat hook getting sprayed by a power washer, the horror they must of felt knowing they were about to get slaughtered, their meat to be shipped out to be eaten. At least Timber got to go out a hero, saving Poppy and taking several bergens with him. While still painful, Timber's death was a lot less painful knowing what he did. Chase and Stream though, well, knowing what Chef did to them made his hatred for her grow even more, and made him that much more determined to kill her.

"So this is your band we're listening to huh?" Poppy asked, ending the silence and breaking Branch's train of thought.

"Yeah, I'm surprised that someone your age has never listened to us before, considering we were really popular with the teenage girls."

"Well I did see your Super Bowl halftime show several years ago when you ripped that one lady's shirt and exposed her breasts. My dad got so angry about that incident that he forbid me and my sisters from listening to your band."

"We did make several parents mad that day didn't we?"

"And not to mention a few grandparents." Rosiepuff added, listening in from the back seat. "Collage aged or not I still whooped you for that incident."

"And I still feel the pain in my backside from it thank you," Branch replied causing Poppy to laugh.

"So what's the name of this song?" Poppy asked listening to a fun dance song with a happy beat.

"Can't stop the feeling." Branch replied "I recorded it once for a kids movie. Even had a lead role in the film believe it or not."

"I think it's my favorite one that I've listened to so far. It makes me feel happy."

"Well things were a bit happier back then." Branch replied "So wait? Had you never even heard of us before? How could you not be familiar with us? We were world famous."

"Well I knew about you, but growing up I listened to more Broadway music and my parents were more into country and classical music. My sisters was the ones that introduced me to your music and that wasn't until I was already a teenager. Then you pulled that stunt at the Superbowl and my dad banned your music from the house."

"Well in my defense I thought she would be wearing a bra."

"Oh don't fret to much about it." Poppy replied "I'm sure once you arrive to Eden my dad will forgive you and welcome you to Eden."

"And if not?"

"He'll probably sacrifice you to Chef in a peace treaty." Branch gave Poppy a weird look at that remark.

"I'm kidding," Poppy laughed before deciding to change the subject. "So I noticed you made the catholic cross across your chest when you thought we were going to get killed by that train earlier. You religious?"

"Somewhat," Branch replied "I've studied the humans religion some, and my grandmother took me to church a lot when I was a kid. But I'm not a hardcore dedicated Catholic, I haven't read the bible completely through."

"I have," Poppy replied "twice actually. "When your stuck in a cell only being let out once a week to mate you have a _lot_ of spare time. One of the trolls in my cell was a priest. We often shared conversations about religion and salvation. At the time I was so angry and bitter that I could never vision a loving God letting things like this happen to his people, but he told me about the trails the Jews had and how his own chosen people became slaves and was eventually led to freedom. I wasn't sure if there was a God or not but I still listened to him with a open mind. If anything just to share a conversation and past time. After my son was born I prayed more than I ever prayed before for freedom. I still wasn't sure if there was a God but if there was one I wanted to let him know that I was in need of help. It wasn't until we were finally free that I was convinced that there was indeed a God out there. I have now became a follower of the Catholic religion because of him."

"Is that Priest still alive?"

"Sadly he was one of the trolls that became a victim to the horrors of that camp. But as Chef led him to the slaughter house it is said that he quoted the Lord's prayer, and as he was strung up to that meat hook and was prepared to be butchered he quoted scripture and showed no sign of fear, like he was at peace with his fate. He was a inspiration to the very end, even some of Chef's top men was surprised at his bravery and faith."

"Well, for his sake I hope he was right about everything." Branch replied, after all the hell he has been through these past years he was not quite sure anymore if their was a God out there or if he cared. But he did hope for those who stilled believed that there was one.

"I believe he was, and I think he is watching down happy that we are finally free."

"I'll never consider us free until Chef is dead along with all of her followers," Branch scoffed.

Poppy decided it was best to change the subject "So did you play any sports in the day?"

"I played some baseball when I was a kid all the way up to High School as well as some archery. You?"

"I actually was really good at hockey. I lived up in Minnesota when I was a child and lived near a hockey field. I was really good actually and extremely competitive. I kind of had a reputation on of getting into fights with the girls on the other team when games weren't going our way."

"You seem like the type of girl that would do that." Branch replied

"I bet you got in so much trouble." Rosiepuff replied

"With my mom yes, my dad though was the one that always cheered me on. He was only mad when the fights ended with me not knocking out one of the other girls teeth.

"You are a extremely crazy woman you know that?" Branch replied

"Well that's one thing you could of called me as a kid I guess."

"So did your sisters play any sports?" Rosiepuff asked

"Nah, they were more into helping animals than playing sports" Poppy answered "My mom was a environmentalists and zoologist. She was a zookeeper and even spent time traveling with the Sea Shepherds in the Southern Ocean."

"Sea Shepherds?" Branch asked confused.

"A marine conservation that often take direct action tactics to protect marine life. They would spend several months a year living in three ships in the Southern Ocean while protecting whales from the Japanese Whalers, often times using means of sabotage to stop their ships and preventing them from killing whales. Their tactics were extremely controversial in the eyes of the public and some law enforcers and government officials even deemed them Eco-terrorist but that never stopped my mom or any of the other Sea Shepherds from doing what they thought was necessary to protect marine life. My mom even spent time in a Japanese prison after boarding one of their vessels in a attempt to stop their ship. She never had any regrets of her actions and said she would do it all over again."

"She seemed like a very brave woman." Branch replied "Crazy, but brave."

"Her love of wildlife spread to my sisters, they grew up watching Steve Irwin and claimed they wanted to be just like him."

"Wrestling Crocodiles and dying from a sting ray barb through the chest?"

"Helping animals while teaching people the importance of protecting our wildlife." Poppy replied "Branch this war has taken it's toll on nature too, the bombs the bergens has dropped on us has caused many animals to become extinct and has pushed others to the very brink. Shortly after the arrival to Eden, Satin and Chenille set up this breeding institution for endangered animals in hopes to conserve their species. They also are working with both troll and good bergen scientist on a species revival program known as De- extinction."

"De what now?"

" A project my sisters are working on in a attempt to bring some of our extinct species back to life. One method she is experimenting with is cloning DNA fragments and taking skin samples from preserved specimens from certain animals like a Passenger Pigeon and tigers and using a similar species like rock pigeons and leopards as surrogate parents. There is also experiments with selective breeding in which some of the scientist have taken DNA samples from bone and teeth fragments in order to obtain genetic material to recreate their DNA. Researchers would then compare the DNA to a similar living species to see which breeds still carry the creature's genes and then undertake a selective breeding program to reverse the evolutionary process. The intention would be that with every passing generation the living species would more closely resemble the currently extinct species."

"I didn't understand half of what you just said." Branch replied "But it sounds as if your sisters are complete loonies no offense."

"It does seem a little far fetched." Rosiepuff replied a bit more nicely then her grandson.

"It sounds like your sisters our trying to make Jurassic park." Branch said harshly "Do I need to remind you what happened to them in those movies?"

"Look I know it sounds crazy and Scientist has tried for years with no results but this is 2029, technology is a lot more advanced not then it was a decade ago. We have the means now to pull off a successful De extinction."

"And then what?" Branch snapped "How are you going to preserve a species in the mountains?"

"That is where our good bergen friends come into play. Should this work our good bergen friends will take them to a location that is closest to it's natural habitat to keep it safe, or if we can get both a male and female have them start breeding to create even more of their kind."

"Sounds to me like your sisters have been reading a few to many science fiction books." Branch scoffed shaking his head in disbelief as he started muttering to himself low enough for nobody to hear "Just my luck, I finally discover a safe place for trolls and they are filled with a bunch of lunatics and mad scientists."

"Hey I heard that." Apparently he was still loud enough to be heard after all.

Deep inside Eden, there was a eighty acres of fenced in area, in that area was housed several different endangered animals. Many good bergens brought them to Eden for Satin and Chenille's breeding program, desperate to follow in their mothers footsteps in protecting and preserving wildlife. And with the world the way it currently was, Satin and Chenille was more then ever trying to save what they had left. The bergens killed a whole lot of wildlife when they dropped the bombs that killed off the humans, it was so bad that most every animal of the planet became endangered thanks to Chef. Thankfully even before Eden was made there were kind bergen scientists that had done round the clock conservation efforts to save what they had, now that Eden was made the were able to open up a giant breeding ground for all of the planets endangered species as well as a lab to open Satin and Chenille's de-extinction project.

"Doctor Reby did you want to see us?" Chenille asked as her and Satin walked into the lab.

"Yes come this way." Reby said as she led the two twins inside. Reby was a troll with sky blur skin, bright red hair, icy blue eyes and lots of glitter freckles. "While you were gone on your supply run we had a Asian elephant give birth as well as a lowland gorilla, our leopards also gave birth to four cubs as well."

"That is amazing." Satin replied "I know it's a slow process but any newborn is a step in the right direction."

"That's not the only reason I called you here." Reby replied her tone getting more and more excited. "We finally had a successful de- extinction."

"Really?" The two twins gasped in excitement. "Are you serious? With what animal?"

"Come this way and I will show you." Reby led them to a cage on the second floor of the lab building and there waiting for them was a mother leopard along with three tiger cubs. Tigers was one of the several animals to become extinct when Chef bombed the humans. But using preserved DNA samples Reby and the twins were able to form the Tigers cells with Leopard sperm samples and were able to create three perfect and beautiful tiger cubs through a adult female leopard.

"They're adorable," Satin awed looking at the cubs. "Mother would be so proud."

The twins knelt down at he cubs, one of the cubs walked up to Chenille and allowed her to pick him up. As Chenille held it in her arms she cried tears of joy at the miracle they were witnessing. "In your face evolution!"

 **For those of you that might be curious De- Extinction is a real thing. Google it, it's a very interesting project that is going on. It's controversial but I am a supporter of it as i see it as a way to fix mans mistakes.**


	7. gas stop

**Shorter chapter this time but we are setting up for something big next chapter.**

 _Branch's Journal August 29th 2029 5:00 PM_

 _Even before the war started I didn't have the most happiest childhood. I never got the honor to know my parents that well. My Dad died when my mom was pregnant with me. He was a Navy seal that died in a explosion when serving in the Iraq War. Then my mother died in a car crash when I was ten, she was driving home from work during a storm when a tree fell in front of her at night. She never had time to hit the breaks and hit the tree head on. The paramedics pronounced her dead on the scene. My grandma always did her best to make my childhood happy but to be orphaned before I was even a teenager was hard. For a while I struggled at school and distanced myself from everyone, my friends my grandma anybody who tried to help me open up I would just shut out. Choosing instead to lock myself in my room and stare at the wall in silence._

 _Eventually I started finding happiness again through music. At first it was just a therapy suggestion given through my therapist as a way to let my emotions out through poetry. But after a while when I started to make progress I started writing more happier poetry that I later gave a beat to and turned into music. After showing my work to my friends at school they suggested forming a band. Thus NSANE was born. Never in my wildest dreams would I have figured what I wrote would become so popular and we would become such a world wide phenomenon. But after me and my boys graduated high school we started traveling the world selling millions of records and being labelled the top boys band of the decade._

 _In a way I could say that despite the tragedy, the death of my parents helped shape the next fifteen years of my life, and while I would have loved for me and my boys to stick around for another fifteen years. I will be forever grateful for the years we had and spent together. For those were some of the happiest years of my life._

Branch stopped writing when he felt the truck come to a stop.

"Why are we stopping?" Branch asked pretty firmly.

"Out of gas." Poppy replied with a firm attitude of her own. "Unless you want to push the truck all the way to the Canadian mountains we need to get some gas."

"Okay just make it quick. We don't want to take to long and risk Chef tracking us down."

"I will hurry as fast as I can geez." Poppy rolled her eyes as she got out of the truck. "In the meantime since we are stopped at the gas station do you need anything?"

"I could stand to use the bathroom." Rosiepuff said.

"If you go inside a bergen will spot you for sure." Branch protested.

"Would you prefer I do my business next to those trees over there in front of you two?"

Branch just rolled his eyes and covered his face with the palm of his hand. "Poppy you take Rosiepuff to the restroom I'll get the gas. But wear this so nobody will get suspicious." Branch handed Poppy a bergen sized trench coat and fedora.

"What the hell do you want us to do with this?"

Branch let out a frustrated sigh "Rosiepuff will get on your shoulders and then put the trench coat over the two of you so you will be close to the bergens height, then the hat will cover your face so they don't see your bright skin colors."

"Branch there is no way my old knees are strong enough to climb onto someone's shoulders."

"Then Poppy will climb on yours! For Christ Sake will you just get on with it already? We are wasting time!"

"Do you want anything while we are in there Branch?" Poppy asked as she climbed onto Rosiepuff's shoulders.

"Well you still owe me a cup of coffee from this morning so..."

"One cup of coffee, got it." Poppy said as she put the trench coat and hat over her and Rosiepuff and walked inside.

"This is going to be a long trip." Branch griped as he swiped his card into the card reader and started pumping gas into his truck.

Inside, Rosiepuff just got out of the bathroom and while carrying Poppy on her shoulders, led her over to the coffee station.

"You know for some one who can decapitate a bergen with a single flick of your knife you are surprisingly light."

"What can I say, my light weight makes it easier for me to move fast." Poppy pored Branch a cup and walked towards the counter to pay for it when she caught something in the corner of her eye. Hanging on a plastic hook with some other snacks was a package that read "Troll Jerkey."

Rosiepuff could sense something was wrong "Poppy, what is it?" Poppy turned and glared at the bergen store owner at the front counter. Setting the coffee down she leaped out of the trench coat, wrapped her hair around the store owner's neck, and drug him over the counter and towards her way.

Branch had just finished filling up the gas tank when he heard screaming coming from inside the store. Running inside he saw Poppy sitting on the store owner's chest, and strangling him with her hair while Rosiepuff pleading for her to stop.

"Hey Poppy calm down!" Branch demanded pulling Poppy off of the bergen. Calming down, Poppy handed Branch his coffee and calmly walked out of the store.

"You want to tell me just what the hell happened in there?" Branch demanded as they started back down the road.

"That bergen was selling troll meat. I was just about to check out when I saw a package of troll jerky on a shelf. I felt the memories of my days as a prisoner and it just caused me to lose control."

"Well because of you lost control we just ended up causing a scene!" Branch scolded "Now Chef is going to hear about this and she is going to know we are hear and she's going to be own our trail again."

"I'm sorry okay! But you don't know what it's like to be a prisoner."

"No but regardless of what happened we can't go out just causing a scene. Chef is looking for us, we got to be careful."

"And we will be. We still have a head's start on her. When we stop for the night we will hide the truck somewhere where she cant she it and make sure we sleep where we are well hidden. She will not find us."

For the sake of all of their lives Branch hoped she was right.

Fifty five minutes later Chef pulled her jeep into the gas station followed shortly by nearly a dozen other vehicles belonging to her men. Chef got the call of a troll attacking a store owner, it didn't take a rocket scientist to know who the troll was.

"Where is she!?" Chef demanded as she kicked the door to the gas station is.

"Oh thank god your hear general" The Store owner said. "The troll she was going to..."

"I don't care what she was or wasn't going to do. I care about where she is now!"

"She's gone."

"WHAT!?"

"A grey troll pulled her off me and drug her and a older troll with her."

"And you didn't stop them!?"

"The troll was strangling me general" The store owner answered nervously, he could tell Chef was getting angry. "I barely had time to catch my breath by the time they were gone."

Chef turned to Shark and nodded, Shark walked over to the door and switched the open side to closed and locked the door. That is when Chef slammed the store owner's head against the desk. The store owner hyperventilated, shaking in fear as Chef held his head down on the desk and bent down and growled in his ear.

"Which way did she go?"

"They headed north, towards Idaho. Please, have mercy."

"You should have stopped them and held them for me."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Chef growled as Shark handed Chef a sword. "I'm sorry I have I have to do this."

"Wait, No!" Too late, Chef dug her sword into the owner's skull, the tip of the sword exited the skull and dug into the wood of the desk, impaling him.

Once the deed was done, Chef left the sword in the owner's head as she turned to her men. "Find Poppy and bring her to me alive, or you will share his fate."

"What about the grey troll and the older woman?"

"I don't care, do to them what you want. I want Poppy though. Nobody will get any sleep until she is in my custody so you better find her fast!"

As the sun settled for the night and the moon shined bright in the sky, Poppy pulled the truck into some bushes, using whatever leaves, grass and twigs they could find to camouflage the truck. The three of them slept in their seats, it wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it helped keep them hidden which is what they needed.

Branch had just dozed off a hour ago when he was awaken by the sounds of screaming. Branch shot up in his seat see Chef dragging Poppy out of her chair, having found them.

"Poppy no!" Chef pulled out a gun and shot Branch, striking him in the shoulder.

"Branch!" Poppy screamed as she saw Branch slump back in his seat and closed his eyes.

"No!" Rosiepuff cried in the back seat. She just had time to unbuckle her seat belt and duck as a wave of bullets came firing from her window. Rosiepuff dodged getting hit by any of the bullets but the shattering glass did cut her skin.

"You murderer! You murderer!" Poppy screamed towards Chef as she drug Poppy to her jeep.

"These deaths are on _you!"_ Chef replied, shoving Poppy in the jeep. Poppy's eyes widened in realization. It was her fault, she drug them into this situation. It was her fault Branch and Rosiepuff were gone.

Poppy fell in her seat and started sobbing "Branch, I'm so sorry."

As Chef and her men drove off, Rosiepuff crawled slowly over to Branch's seat, wincing in pain and she felt the glass that was stuck in her skin.

"Branch, Branch baby are you okay."

Rosiepuff hear Branch moan and his eyes shot up in horror.

"Poppy!"

"They took her Branch, Chef took her."

"No!" Branch grasped. They had to get her back, whatever it took.

 **Oh yeah, massive cliffhanger. Next chapter is going to be really violent and bloody. So get ready**


	8. Branch to the rescue

**Warning this chapter does contain a scene of torture. I have marked the scene so that in case you can't handle torture you can skip by the marked scene.**

"WHERE DID THEY TAKE POPPY!?" Branch asked with fire in his tone. After Chef abducted Poppy Branch stormed a bergen camp, slaughtering every bergen that stood in his way. Not before Rosiepuff patched up his wounded shoulder first. Despite Branch's many protest and claiming that he was fine, Rosiepuff refused to let Branch go anywhere until the bullet was removed and he was patched up. After the visit to Dr. Rosiepuff Branch slaughtered everyone in the bergen camp, stormed right into the office of one of the lieutenants, locked and barricaded the doors so no one intruded, and shot the lieutenant in the arm before he reached for his weapon. Then Branch slammed the lieutenant's head on his desk as he demanded to know the location where Poppy was being held.

"I don't know." The lieutenant replied.

"That's a lie!" Branch roared "Your one of Chef's top men. You know the location of all of Chef's operations. And I know you are damn well familiar to where Chef would take a prisoner. Now I am going to ask you again _where is Poppy!?"_

The lieutenant refused to respond right away, trying to show no fear. But Branch read right through him and would have none of his silence. Branch took out his gun and fired it at the desk, just six inches from where the lieutenant's head was "ANSWER ME!"

"Okay okay!" The lieutenant replied "She has a warehouse on the Wyoming state line. She usually takes prisoners in there to torture, either for fun or to get entail. It's to heavily guarded you'll never get in there."

"I think I got in _here_ pretty well didn't I?" Branch replied right before he beat the bergen's head against the desk repeatedly until the bergen died from blunt force trauma. Branch then sneaked out through the back window just as more bergens were forcing their way in. Branch took out a lighter and a bottle of whisky, then flickering on the lighter Branch tossed both the lighter and the whisky bottle engulfing the building in flames. The fire gave Branch just the time he needed to get back to the truck and escape to the bergen camp without being spotted.

"Do you know where she is?" Rosiepuff asked as Branch sped off.

"The state line, we got to move fast," Branch replied as he sped down the streets way past the legal limits. It was a little over a hour till they got to the state line but with Branch going nearly a hundred he could going get there in twenty minutes. He just preyed that Poppy could hold on till then.

 **Torture scene starts here**

Poppy awakened to find herself strapped to a chair. One end of jumper cables were strapped to her pinky fingers while the other end was strapped to a car battery that was still sitting inside of a truck. Chef paced in front of her laughing psychotically, it didn't take a genius to know what Chef was planning to do with her.

"Why? Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" Poppy breathed

"Kill you?" Chef laughed "Why my dear, if I killed you I wouldn't get the information I need."

"You will never find Eden." Poppy growled

"Oh your right I could never find it on my own without help. Which is why your going to tell me."

"I will never tell you anything."

"Oh I believe you will, you just need a little bit of motivation." Chef turned to one of her soldiers who then cranked the car, turning on the battery. The cables sent a electric shock through Poppy's entire body, Chef stared at Poppy screaming with a sadistic look on her face, the shock wasn't enough to kill Poppy, just enough to give her the motivation to spill the beans on the trolls whereabouts. After about thirty seconds Chef ordered them to shut it off. As the battery was turned off Chef walked to Poppy who was panting and sweating from the pain she just endured. Chef got on a knee so she could be at eye level with Poppy.

"So, are you ready to talk now?" Give me the trolls location.

"Kiss... my... ass..." Poppy breathed between pants. Chef just scowled, turning towards her soldier.

"Give her another dose." The bergen started the battery back up, and Poppy started screaming again as the electricity started flowing through her body once again.

 **End torture scene**

Outside the warehouse Branch pulled the truck into some bushes and took to the trees to hide and study the area. There were twenty armed guards outside the area. Branch counted the bullet's he had in his gun, twelve. If he put use his silencer he could sneak up on them and take them out without anybody noticing and steal there weapons to give him more ammo. It would work, it _had to_ work. If he was going to get inside and save Poppy it had to. Taking out his headphones, Branch picked the song "Say Something" a song from the last album his band did before the attack and jumped from the trees and made his way to the warehouse. Branch kept to the high grass and used his hair to blend in to avoid being seen. He sneaked up behind the first guard and poking his gun out from behind his hair fired the gun. With the silencer nobody heard the bullet go through the back of the bergen's skull. Stocking up on the guns, knifes and grenades in the bergen's uniform he made his way and did the same thing to the following bergen and the one after until he took down each bergen without being spotted once, taking the weapons from each one. With the outside taken care of Branch took out a grenade and walked to the front entrance. Branch didn't care about being quite now. In fact Branch wanted them to hear them. With enough weapons to take out a entire tower full of bergens, he was ready for whatever any bergens through at him. Knocking on the door to the entrance, Branch tossed the grenade under the slot of the door and backed away, when that door exploded all of hell was going to break loose.

Chef turned off the battery for the third time. Poppy was still being stubborn but Chef was convinced she was about to crack.

"You know Poppy the body can only take so much pain before it finally says it's had enough. You act brave, you tell yourself that you will never talk. But your lying to yourself. Eventually, your going to have enough, your going to beg for me to stop torturing you, and then you will tell me what I need to know just to stop the pain. Your one tough nut to crack, but not impossible."

"That is where you are wrong." Poppy panted, "You can torture me from now to next Tuesday. But I will never, _never,_ tell you where Eden is. You might as well just kill me, because I am about as much use to you as a dead horse. You think I will crack, your just a damn fool. Do your worse."

It was right then that the two of them heard a explosion coming from the other side of the warehouse.

"What was that?" Chef demanded

"Branch." Poppy gasped, he found her, he actually found her.

"So, your little traveling partner survived." Chef growled as she pulled out a shotgun and stood at the door waiting for him. "Well I will just have to fix him myself.

Outside it was a slaughterhouse. Branch was emptying clip after clip into the heads, torsos, necks and all other parts of the bergens. Branch smashed open a case and pulled out a ax, chunking it at a bergen and hitting him right between the eyes. As the bergen fell Branch pulled out the ax, firing a assault rifle in his other hand at a couple oncoming bergens while planting the ax into the neck of another bergen. Once the assault rifle ran out of bullets Branch tossed it and the ax to the side pulled out a couple of grenades yanked out the pins and chunked them at a oncoming wave. The grenades landed right in the middle of the pack blowing the entire wave to bits, blood and body parts scattered the floor as Branch picked up the ax he sat down and continued to calmly make his way to Poppy's location. Another storm of bergens heard the explosion and made their way towards Branch. Branch just smirked as he pulled out another assault rifle and readied himself for the attack.

From inside the torture room Poppy just smiled at the sound of the mayhem outside. She knew that with the sound of gunfire and screaming that Branch still wasn't down and he was making his way toward her. Knowing that Branch was just outside the door gave her the momentum she needed to stay strong.

"Don't get to confident." Chef replied noticing the smile on Poppy's face. "There is three hundred men out there all trained to take down your kind. Your savior will never make it to this room alive."

"You underestimate Branch." Poppy shot back.

"Knock, knock." Branch taunted on the other end of the door. "I would seriously consider opening the door right now because I got a rocket launcher in hand and I'm not afraid to use it."

"We will see about that." Chef said tossing her shot gun to the side and taking out a assault rifle emptying the entire round at the door. Chef smiled when she saw blood pouring in through the door convinced she had him. Poppy, gasped instantly becoming worried. But when the door opened everyone was taken aback when Branch held a bullet riddled bergen by his collar that he had used for a meat shield.

"Catch!" Branch hollered tossing the bullet filled bergen to Chef and firing his rocket launcher. The rocket hit the bergen corpse, causing it to explode and send pieces of it flying everywhere. Chef was knocked backwards from the blast, slamming into a wooden wall. With Chef stunned Branch ran to untie Poppy.

"Branch, you are right on time."

"Like you knew I was coming back for you."

"Well you aren't going to make it to Eden by yourself are you?"

As soon as Poppy got freed she took the jumper cables and strapped them to Chef's fingers who was still laying wounded on the ground.

"Payback time!" Poppy growled as she started up the truck battery. Chef instantly started screaming as the electricity made it's way through her body. With Chef trapped and screaming in agony Branch handed Poppy a gun of her own and started making their way through the building. With the two of them working together they slaughtered every bergen that stood in their way. Poppy used her hair to yank the weapons out of the bergens hands, while Branch took the opportunity to fill their chest with lead. As the two ran to the truck the warehouse had became painted red with the blood of the bergens.

After about forty five seconds of electricity flowing through her body Chef found the strength to rip off the jumper cables and run to find her remaining men.

"Get in the jeeps, we can not let them get away!"

"Yes mam!" The soldiers saluted, racing to their jeeps.

As soon as the two of them reached Rosiepuff and the running truck, Poppy got in the drivers seat and started racing down the streets as Branch put on his song "Cry me a river" before turning and firing his gun at the oncoming jeeps.

"Did you have you _have_ to put on music before you started firing at the bergens trying to kill us?" Poppy griped

"Shut up and drive, I'm busy." Branch stuck his head out the window and shot out the left tire of a speeding jeep. The jeep instantly lost control and flipped over and exploded. There was still five more jeeps coming toward them however, one occupied by Chef herself. One jeep drove up right beside Branch's truck and started firing through the the window. Ducking, Branch took his gun and fired through the driver's window hitting the driver in the neck and causing him and his passengers to drive off a cliff. Branch then opened his window and leaned out the the open door, his body dangling over the cliff that they were driving beside. Branch's seat belt was the only thing that was keeping him from falling over the cliff.

"Branch what are you doing?" Poppy gasped noticing Branch dangling out of the open door. Branch didn't answer, instead he just took out a sniper rifle he had snatched from one of the dead bergens and aimed it at a jeep on the other side of the cliff. Making sure his aim was perfect Branch fired the gun and hit the bergen right between the eyes causing him to smash into some rocks.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Poppy gasped

"Same place I got this." Branch said pulling a rocket launcher out of his hair. "Now whatever you do, don't make any sharp turns. Branch than unbuckled his seat belt and started climbing to the roof."

"Branch, what the hell!?" Poppy screamed as she saw Branch wrap his hair around the open door to keep from flying off the cliff.

"Branch you get back in here right this second!" Rosiepuff screamed

"Hold on a second!" Branch fired back. Aiming his rocket launcher Branch fired at another oncoming jeep. The rocket hit the jeep head on and sent it flying into another jeep. Now only Chef's jeep remained.

"Take out that grey troll now!" Chef ordered one of her passengers.

"Yes General!"

"Oh shit?" Branch gasped when he suddenly noticed a bergen shoulder bringing out a Gatling gun. Branch quickly dived inside as the gun fired, smashing in the back window's of Branch's jeep.

"Get down!" Branch odored as the bullets grazed by them.

Branch suddenly heard Rosiepuff screamed, he turned around and saw that Rosiepuff had been shot in the back and the bullet had lodged itself in her stomach.

GRANDMA!" Branch screamed.

"Branch we got to do something that gun is tearing the truck apart!" Poppy screamed.

Seeing his grandmother laying in her seat bleeding out Branch found the strength he needed to leap out of the jeep, using his hair to hang on Branch took out two six shooters and fired a bullet out of each at the tires, hitting them squire in the middle. Chef's truck instantly spun out of control and flipped over. Sadly Branch saw Chef bail out of the truck right before it toppled off the bridge. However she was now stranded which would give them time to get away.

"Branch, the truck is to badly damaged, it won't make it Eden, we are going to have to find some other vehicle. I'm sorry." Poppy replied as she drove not even noticing yet that Rosiepuff had been shot. "That Gatling gun did a number on the truck I can probably make it past the state line but we are going to have to eventually stop and..."

"I don't give a damn about any other that right now!" Branch screamed as he climbed back inside the truck and into the back seat. "Grandma's been shot."

"What?" Poppy gasped finally turning around to and noticed Rosiepuff laying in a pool of blood, gasping and choking for air. "Oh god, no Rosiepuff."

"Grandma." Branch cried as he made picked Rosiepuff up and held her to his chest. "No, don't you die on me grandma don't you die. Don't you die on me."

"Branch..." Rosiepuff choked as she spat up blood.

"It's going to be okay grandma it's going to be okay, I promise everything is going to be..." Branch didn't finish as he saw Rosiepuff head start to sink and her eyes close.

"GRANDMA!"

 **Song credits "Say something" And "Cry me a river" by Justin Timberlake.**

 **I will now hide in a cave until the next update.**


	9. A little fall of rain

**I will admit it was hard for me to find the momentum to write this chapter. Not because it was a hard chapter to write but because of what is going on in my state write now.**

 **I don't know if you have heard on the news but here in Oklahoma there is a massive teachers strike going on. The past two days the teachers have been at the state capital demanding a pay raise and more funds for their students. Oklahoma is 49th in teachers salary and funding for schools, multiple schools in the Oklahoma City area where I live have either went to four day weekends or had to reduce the amount of teachers just to keep the doors open and the politicians aren't doing a thing about it. My niece is going to be starting Pre-K next year and I'm scared to death of what type of of education system she is going to walk into.**

 **So yeah it's pretty bad over here and the more the politicians fight with the teachers the more stressed I've been getting considering my dad is a teacher. Luckily after I did start writing this I actually started to calm down and it got easier.**

 **Anyway you are going to need your tissues for this chapter because it gets DEPRESSING!**

"No" Branch cried as he held Rosiepuff tighter in his arms. She had already lost a lot of blood, Branch's normally green vest was so stained in blood that one would think it was red. "Grandma please! Don't die on me! Poppy get me something to dig get the bullet out, please!"

Poppy dove into the tailgate of the truck and brought out a pair of pliers and frantically handed them to Branch.

"You're going to be Okay Grandma you're going to be okay!" Branch was about to lift up Rosiepuff's shirt and start digging out the bullet when suddenly Rosiepuff opened her eyes and stopped Branch as he looked onto Rosiepuff with a confused look.

"It's too late for me now Branch, you need to leave me. Save yourselves."

"No Grandma I won't leave you I refuse."

"Listen Branch Chef won't be delayed forever. Eventually she will start back up her search. You need to get out of here as quickly as possible. The bullet is to deep. You'll never get it out with just that and We're to far from a hospital."

"Grandma, don't talk like this." Branch wept.

"Listen Branch," Rosiepuff's color was already going lighter, they were losing her and both Poppy and Branch knew it. Poppy didn't dare intervene and stood from a distance, a closed fist over her mouth and tears streaming out of her own eyes as she watched Rosiepuff give her final wishes to Branch. "Don't let my death stop you from finding Eden. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to be safe. Finish the mission for me. Find Eden, live your life, be happy once again."

"I can't be happy without you."

"Sure you can, you still have happiness in you. You just need to find it."

"But Grandma...?" Rosiepuff weakly put her index finger over Branch's mouth shushing him as she started singing to him. Her voice soft and nearly a barely a whisper as a light rain started to fall.

" _Don't you fret, my sweet Darling Branch, I do not feel any pain. A little fall of rain, can hardly hurt me now._

 _You're here, that's all I need to know. And you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close. And Rain will help the flowers grow._

Branch was choking, not even trying to hold back tears. No, this couldn't be happening. His Grandma was dying and she wasn't even letting Branch even attempt to save her, she was just content and at peace that Branch was by her side.

 _But you will live Grandma, dear God above. If I could heal your wounds with words of love._

Rosiepuff just looked back up and smiled at her Grandson _Just hold me now and let it be. Shelter me, comfort me._

Branch lifted Rosiepuff's forehead to his own and closed his eyes as he cuddled his Grandma close. _You will live a hundred years If I could show you how. I won't desert you now..._

 _Rain can't hurt me now."_ Rosiepuff's voice was so soft, but she wasn't going to let that spoil what she knew was her final moment with Branch. _"This rain will wash away what's past. And you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close. I'll sleep in your embrace at last._

 _The rain that brings you here is Heaven- Blessed! The skies begin to clear and I'm at rest. A breath away from where you are. I've come home from so far._

 _So don't you fret, My sweet Darling Branch I do not feel any pain. A little fall or rain, can hardly hurt me now._

" _I'm here."_ Branch cried

" _That's all I need to know."_ Rosiepuff smiled _"And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close. And rain, will make the flowers..."_ Rosiepuff then closed her eyes and lowered her head in Branch's neck for the final time.

" _Grow."_ Branch finished the last word, knowing his Grandma would never get the chance to. Branch held Rosiepuff's limp body as close as he could as he mourned over her. Poppy didn't say a word as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug. She knew that there was nothing she could do to make him feel better at this moment, but she still wanted to be with him for moral support.

"She's gone Poppy!" Branch wept as he buried his head in Poppy's arms,

"I know Branch, I'm so sorry."

After a few minutes Poppy felt Branch's body go limp, having cried himself to sleep. Poppy just let Branch rest in her lap, stroking his hair as he rested. "I am so sorry Branch, this is my fault, I never should of drug you into this."

Despite how damaged Branch's truck was from battle Poppy was able to drive the truck close to Wyoming Idaho border before it finally broke down for good. There Branch buried Rosiepuff's body in the woods. Poppy put a little wooden cross on her grave as a marker. There, hidden in the woods, hundreds of miles away from where they lost Chef the two of them rested and hid. Neither one of them said a word to each other for over a hour, All Branch did was stand over his Grandmother's grave and drink from his whisky flask in silence in mourning. After about seventy minutes of silence Branch walked to his broke down bullet riddled truck and threw his whisky flask inside before tossing his lighter in their too. Poppy and Branch watched as Branch's truck engulfed in flames. Poppy didn't know if Branch lit the truck on fire as some sort of memoriam to Rosiepuff or just because it was to damaged to run but even in the mists all the tragedy, watching the flames engulf the truck was certainly a sight to behold.

"Let's go." Branch finally said after nearly two hours of nothing but silence.

"Where are we going to find another vehicle though? We are still another full state from the Canadian border."

"I'm sure we will find something somewhere now lead to he damn way! My Grandmother's dying wish was for me to finish making it to Eden so somehow, someway we are going to make it!

Back on the other side of Wyoming at the scene of the last battle, Chef's men finally reached her. Being the only survivor at the base they were previously in, Chef to contact a completely other base out of state to come and pick her up. All of her other men from her previous base had been killed either by Branch or during the chase on the cliff.

"Are you hurt any General Chef?" A Lieutenant asked when he pulled up to Chef's location.

"No, just very, very pissed off!" Chef roared

"How the hell could two trolls do all of this damage?" A Sergeant asked

"I don't care, I am going to find that little grey troll and rip his blood covered head off his shoulders and eat it myself." Chef growled "Them I am going to drag Poppy and the rest of the trolls back to base where I am going to make sure the rest of their pathetic little lives are a living hell. Nobody makes a fool out of Chef, not a troll, not anybody."

"General I know you are not going to like hearing this but I think it might be best to just let these trolls go." A private claimed.

"What are you saying Private Falcon?"

"We already rule the world. All of the Nations bow down to your every order, why should it matter if the trolls live free or not. The war is over you won. Bergens are the dominant species. Why don't we just let them go and you can enjoy your victory."

"Yeah, maybe?" Chef pondered for a second, before she secretly took a ice pick out of her back pocket. "Or maybe, I overestimated your loyalty!" Chef then stabbed Falcon in the esophagus with her pick. Falcon gasped as he instantly reached for his throat, choking and spitting up blood. Chef pulled Falcon on the ground, bent down over him and stabbed him again and again in the esophagus. Blood splattered all over Chef, the ground and even the terrified bergens standing by and watching as Chef continuously stabbed Falcon in the throat, refusing to let go.

Finally after a good thirty three stabs, all in the throat Chef got up and tossed her pick to the side, her entire upper torso area was soaked in crimson blood, she had stabbed Falcon so many times that his throat was literally nothing but a giant hole, you could even see the blood stained rocks from the road where his neck rested. As Chef wiped the blood off her lips she turned and glared at her terrified soldiers.

"Anybody else want me to give up my search?"

"Nope, no, we are totally loyal to you." The soldiers all said at once nervously.

"Good, leave his body for the buzzards and start the pursuit back up."

"Do you have any idea where they are headed General?"

"No, but somebody had to spot them. I want wanted posters with their faces on it plastered on every street corner on this side of the country with a million dollar reward for anyone who has spotted Poppy and that grey troll she is with. I will find them, even if I have to tear every city in every country in the world, piece by piece.

 **Song Credit "Little fall of Rain" Les Miserables Broadway version**

 **Well hope you don't hate me to much. Next chapter things will start getting a bit more calm and lighter. Hope you choose to come back, see ya.**


	10. Arriving to Eden

**Wow, your reactions for the last chapter was STRONG. Lots of cussing. These next few chapters will take a lighter approach as our hero's finally reach Eden.**

It wasn't easy finding another vehicle the right size for a troll to drive. Considering that the vast majority of trolls lived in Eden now finding one for them to drive would be difficult to say to the least. Eventually though they stumbled upon a now abandoned car lot that had both bergen and troll sized vehicles. Taking the one in the best condition, which happened to be a old 2018 Dodge Ram Pickup. Poppy and Branch was able to make their way to Eden again. With the sun coming up and Poppy driving the truck past the Idaho state line, they were hopeful that they could reach Eden by the end of the day.

Relaxing a little bit, Branch took his journal out of his hair and made another entry.

 _Branches Journal, August 31_ _st_ _, 2049 7:10 Am_

 _Two days ago I lost my Grandmother, the only family member I had left. I'll admit it's hard for me to find the motivation to continue to Eden but I know that my Grandma would want me to continue._

 _When my Grandmother took me in after my mom died all I wanted was to be alone. I would spend a lot of days locked up in my room crying because all I wanted was my mom back. My Grandma would do everything she could to try to make me feel more accepting living with her, she would take me to the park, take me to a movie and even sing to me, but all they would do would cheer me up for a short period of time and then I would fall back into a state of depression. For the years before I found happiness through music was probably some of the hardest moments for my Grandma because I never treated her with the appreciation she deserved. All she wanted to do for me since she took me in was make me happy again. All she has ever wanted in my life was for me to be happy. And all I did to show appreciation was treat her like garbage. I wish I had a chance to do everything over, to show her for real how much I appreciated everything she sacrificed for me. Sadly though I know I can't, and I never will. Grandma, I love you, and I am so sorry for how I treated you._

As Branch was writing he eventually found himself giving in to sleep. Branch had not gotten any sleep since they buried Rosiepuff and was exhausted. Closing his journal Branch laid back in his chair and closed his eyes, soon drifting off to sleep. As Branch slept he saw his Grandmother, standing on a cloud dressed in all white. Her body was glowing from head to toe and when she turned to see Branch her face lifted in a smile.

"You just can't stop thinking of me can you?"

"How can I? You were all I had ever since I was ten. I can never let go of you."

"Oh sure you can" Rosiepuff laughed "After a few years in Eden you will forget all about me."

"How? How can I ever be happy in Eden knowing you never made it. The only reason I agreed to go was for you."

"Oh Branch, you don't need me to be happy. Happiness is closer to you then you think. You just need to discover it for yourself."

"How can I?"

"Well for starters letting people in your life again. You can start with Poppy. I know you two have sort of had a rocky relationship since you met but she only means well. And even though you won't admit it to yourself, I know you care for her. The way you rushed to save her from Chef, you were a one troll army."

"I was just doing what I had to. What any person with a soul would do."

"Or maybe you did it for another reason as well." Branch gave his grandma a confused look and Rosiepuff laughed.

"Branch your really going to play dumb with your dead Grandma? I could tell ever since I caught you staring at Poppy while she was getting dress. You feel something for Poppy even if you don't want to admit it to yourself I know differently.

"Even if that is true which it isn't, there is no way it could work out between us."

"Oh? You have certainly spent a lot of time together these past few days. You certainly have formed a bond since starting this trip and have gotten to know quite a lot about each other."

"Okay what this this have to do with me being happy in Eden without you?"

"The point is that you still have someone who cares about you and wants to help you. You just got to let her. Don't push everyone away like you did when I first took you in. You have grown so much in so many ways, don't fall backwards again. Be happy Branch, you deserve happiness."

"I don't know if I can." Branch started to cry.

"Be happy..."

"BRANCH!"

Branch's eyes instantly shot open when he heard Poppy call out his name and he shot upwards in his seat.

"We're here." Branch looked out his window and he noticed they were up in the mountains and driving up to a set of gates. Written on a sign on the front gate in black lettering read "Eden"

"We made it." Branch gasped. Despite being located up in the mountains Eden looked very much like a actual was houses, businesses, a school for the children, and many different types of plantations and animals. Many trolls gathered near the entrance when the truck pulled up, after all there was no supply run scheduled for another month and they were curious as to who was pulling up. Needless to say when Poppy stepped out of the truck everyone gasped.

"Poppy?"

"Surprised to see me?"

"Oh my god Poppy!" The twins was the first to run up and hug Poppy, followed shortly by Biggie, Suki , Cooper, Smidge and Guy Diamond.

"We all thought you were dead!" Satin replied

"How did you survive?" Chenille added

"How did you get here?" Cooper asked

"Guys calm down." Poppy replied breaking the hug. "I can explain all of these things here in shortly. The trolls turned to see Branch stepping out of the truck. He tried to avoid all the commotion going on but Poppy pulled him over to the pack to introduce him to her friends. "Guys this is Branch, he is part of the reason I made it here."

"Wait Branch?" Suki asked

"As in the lead singer from the band NSANE?" The twins added at the same time

"Oh so you guys have heard of me?"

"Heard of you?..." Suki laughed

"We are big fans!" The twins said simultaneously again. "We have all your CD's we sing your songs in the shower, we were even going to get matching tattoos of your face on our butts but our dad said no."

"Okay I did not need to know that last part." Branch replied a little grossed out.

"Poppy?" Suddenly Peppy, walked up after one of the trolls ran off to tell him about Poppy's return. Peppy was carrying Winter in his arms. "Is that really you?"

"Mommy!" Winter jumped out of Peppy's arms at the sight of Poppy's return and ran to hug his mother.

"Oh my baby I missed you so bad!" Poppy cried, grabbing Winter in a deep tearful hug and kissing him on his face, forehead and hair. "I thought of you every single day while I was gone."

"I thought you wasn't coming back mommy."

"Nah, who told you I wasn't coming back?"

"Daddy."

"He did, did he?" Poppy growled.

"Poppy?" Suddenly Creek, the troll Poppy wanted to see the least walked up to the group. "Your alive?"

"Yeah no thanks to you." Poppy replied walking up to Creek and punching him so hard in the nose Creek fell backwards. Creek grabbed him nose and noticed blood was dripping onto his fingers.

"I had that coming"

"You deserve more than that but your lucky because our kid is watching."

"Look I'm sorry..."

"Sorry? You left me _alone_ outnumbered by bergens and you think sorry is going to cut it? No sorry doesn't cut it. I can't believe your the father of my child!"

Creek threw up his hands and walked away, he could tell Poppy was angry with him. Not that he could really blame her. He did leave her to die. However, even though he would never admit it to anybody, Creek still believed he made the right call that day. He had everybody's life to think about as well and she was taking to long to get to the truck. True she got pinned down but in his opinion she should have stayed together. He knew nobody agreed with his decision and he had taken hell from everybody, but he made his decision and he stood by it.

Tears fell from both Poppy and Peppy's eyes as they embraced in a hug. "I feared I would never see you again my daughter."

"I'm back daddy, and I am never going to be gone that long again." Poppy then pulled Branch over to meet him, who at the time seemed to have his hands full with a very hyper three year old. "Daddy this is Branch, he is the whole reason I made it back. He saved my life earlier. I owe everything to him.

"Thank you." Peppy said giving Branch a hug. "For bringing my daughter home safe."

"Just doing what I had to Sir."

"Sir? No you call me Peppy." Peppy then recognized Branch's face for the first time. "Hey didn't I see you one time on TV? At a sporting event?"

"Oh yes, the halftime show of the Superbowl one time."

"Now I recognize you. I didn't like your music."

"So I heard. Well hopefully we can put this difference aside and still be friends. And hopefully you will still let me stay here."

"Of course. No troll left behind. Cooper will you show our new resident his new home?"

"Will do Peppy." Cooper replied pulling some bags out of the back of the truck.

"Cooper those our _my_ bags." Poppy called out

"Oops." Cooper laughed setting those down and grabbing some more bags. Before Cooper could show Branch were he was going to live though Satin and Chenille ran up to Poppy excited.

"Oh Poppy you have got to see this we actually have a successful one.

"A successful what?"

"De extinction," Chenille explained "We have a baby tiger?"

"What!" Poppy gasped before running to grab Branch "Branch you got to see this."

"Wait for me!" Cooper hollered out running after the four trolls, still holding Branch's bags in his teeth.

The twins led the group to the lab were a mother leopard lay with four baby tiger cubs. Both Poppy and Branch gasped when they saw them.

"I see it but I still don't believe it." Branch gasped "That's impossible these animals...

"Were extinct yes. Another act of Cruelty do to Chef's violent nature." Poppy replied, bending down and picking one of the cubs up. "But we brought them back. We can reverse the sins that man and bergens have done."

"Okay, I'll admit, I'm impressed."

"Not bad for a mad scientist huh?" Poppy replied reminding Branch of what he called her sisters.

"He called us that?" Chenille tilted her head

"I take it back." Branch said throwing his hands up in defense. "I was wrong. This is actually pretty amazing." Branch bent down next to Poppy and stared at the cubs as they curled next to the mother leopard. "They're beautiful. Branch didn't know why, but as he stared at those baby tiger cubs. A animal that were bombed to extinction when Chef dropped nukes in Asia, he couldn't help but think there was still hope for the trolls. If They could bring a animal back from extinction, then maybe, just maybe. There was a future for the trolls.

Cooper led Branch to his home fifty minutes later. It wasn't very big, but it would be just him living in it. It was a small two bedroom house with one bathroom a living room and a small kitchen. It wasn't much, but it would do. As Branch started unpacking, a small smile formed on his lips, he dropped what he was doing walked to his front porch, looked up in the sky and smiled as tears of joy fell from his face.

"I did it Grandma, I made it to Eden. I did it for you."


	11. True colors

**Longer chapter by my standards but as I got writing I just got on a roll and didn't stop. Enjoy.**

It had been three weeks since Branch had arrived in Eden. Despite the fact that he no longer had to keep the doors locked or constantly live on edge due to the fear of Chef or her men finding him, Branch still spent most days coped up in his new home. He would come out once a week to get food to last him for the week but other then that Branch would spend all his time indoors.

Poppy knew the reason too, Branch missed his Grandma. Branch said that he would try to move on but even despite being surrounded by other trolls again and not living in fear Branch wouldn't let go of his depression. Poppy would try to stop by every day and knock on Branch's door to try to get him to open up but he would most of the time refuse to even open it.

After three weeks of this Poppy had enough. Using a hair pin she picked the lock and dragged Branch outside.

"Whoa what's this about?" Branch snapped.

"It's time for you to let go." Poppy insisted "She ain't coming back."

"Poppy you have no right to tell me when I get to stop morning!"

"Branch you are in Eden. The happiest place for trolls. Where you don't have to live in fear, or lock yourself in a war bunker or anything. You don't have to be alone anymore Branch. Yet your doing the exact same thing you did when I first stumbled upon you. Staying cooped up in your house alone with the doors locked and the lights off, refusing to come out exact when to gather food."

"Maybe old habits die hard."

"Or maybe you don't want to let go of your pain." Poppy replied "Look Branch I know how you feel."

"You don't know anything about how I feel."

"Yes I do. I lost my mom remember. Or were you even paying attention when I gave you my backstory. I know what it's like to lose people you love. But you can either lay down on the floor feeling sorry for yourself and miss out on the joys of life by shutting out everybody around you. Or you can get up and except that what is past is past, and honor their memory by surviving and moving on. Rosiepuff would not want this from you. She would want you to move on, make friends. Make memories here. You are a survivor Branch, a fighter. The best way to honor your grandma is to be happy again."

"And how do you suggest I move on?"

"Well for one thing get to know the other trolls here for starters. And I know just the best way to do it too. There is going to be a party tonight. I suggest you come. It would be a good way to make friends."

"Whoa what's the party for anyway?"

"When your free from the evil bergens everydays a party.

" _I got that feeling on that summer day when you were gone."_

To Branch's surprise the party was not near as wild as he was expecting. Sure there was music and dancing. Poppy's twin sisters were on a stage singing a song and over a hundred trolls were living it up on the dance floor. But the party was not near as wild or destructive as the parties he use to throw in his younger days as a celebrity. There was a bar table of course, and Branch and Poppy was sitting at the bar drinking beer while Poppy showed him to her friends. But compared to what he use to throw, where there would be strippers and would usually end with the cops showing up, it was pretty tame. And surprisingly Branch found himself liking it.

 _I crashed my car into the bridge, I watched, I let it burn._

Suki was running the DJ table on stage, jumping up and pumping up the crowd as Satin and Chenille jammed out on stage.

 _I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs. I crashed my car into a bridge, I don't care!_

Suddenly the stage lit it with blue, red and pink strobe lights. Satin and Chenille jumped up and down on the stage while the crowd cheered. Suki was waving her hands up and down while jumping herself to trying to see how loud the crowd could cheer

 _I love it, I don't care!_

 _I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone. I crashed my car into the bridge I watched I let it burn. I threw your shit into a bag and push it down the stairs. I crash my car into the bridge._

 _I don't care! I love it! I don't care_

"So Branch did you do all that stuff Poppy said you did?" Biggie asked as he was enjoying himself a glass of bourbon.

"Taking on the bergen army all by myself? Yeah, I did actually."

"Wow, and I thought you pop singers were all a bunch of spoiled pansies."

"Well what can I say? When your living in a world where the enemy wants to wipe out your entire kind or use them as cattle, you either toughen up or you die. There's no other option."

"I'll drink to that Branch." Biggie said as him and Branch took a sip of their drinks and turned to watch Satin and Chenille tear up the stage.

" _Your on a different road. I'm in the milky way. You want me down on Earth but I am up in space. Your so damn hard to please I want to kill this switch. Your from the seventies but I'm a nineties..."_ Suki stopped the beat as Satin and Chenille held their hand up to their ear and faced the crowd wanting them to finish the line

" _BITCH!"_ The crowd roared finishing the lyric. Nodding Suki started the music back up as the twins started back up singing. Watching from the bar area Branch had to admit to himself that these girls were good, but he felt the competitive side tingling up inside of him. That he wanted to show these rookies how to put on a show.

" _I love it!"_

" _I love it!"_

On the other side of the bar Creek sat alone drinking straight vodka. He shook his head as he listened to what these other trolls considered music. "What a disgrace to the arts." Creek griped. Finishing up his drink he laid some money down on the table, grabbed his coat and walked off.

" _I got this feeling on that summer day when you were gone. I crashed my car into the bridge I watched I let it burn. I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs. I crashed my car into the bridge. I don't care! I love it! I don't care! I love it, I love it, I don't care! I love it! I don't care"_

Satin held out her hands, giving a high five to every troll on the front row of the crowd. Suki pumped her right fist in the air as she worked the station.

" _Your from a different road I'm from the milky way. You want me down on Earth but I am up in space. Your so damn hard to please I want to kill this switch. Your from the seventies but I'm a nineties..."_ Suki stopped the beat and the twins put their palm to their ears again to have the crowd finish the line again.

" _BITCH!"_ The crowd cheered again as Suki started back up the music one more time and the twins finished their song.

 _I don't care! I love it! I don't care, I love it, I love it! I don't care, I love it! I don't care, I love it, I love it! I don't care! I love it!"_

The Twins dropped the mic as the song ended and the crowd roared. As the twins exited the stage Suki walked up and picked the mic off the floor.

"Okay does anyone else want to take the stage next?" Branch instantly raised his hand.

"Branch?" Poppy gasped

"I was a singer before the war Poppy." Branch smirked.

"Okay then get up here on stage." Suki demanded. The twins instantly cheered as they saw their favorite singer walk toward the stage. Instantly the crowd started chanting Branch's name. Once he arrived on stage he whispered in Suki's ear which song of his he wanted her to perform before turning to the crowd.

"Satin, Chenille, I got to admit you girls have some talent. But now it time to show all you _rookies_ how us professionals put on a show. Hit it DJ!" Suki instantly dropped the beat and the crowd cheered as Branch started dancing on stage, especially the twins once they realized which song he was doing.

" _I'm bringing sexy back. Them other boys don't know how to act. I think it's special what's behind your back. So turn around and I'll pick up the slack."_

"Take them to the bridge!" Suki shouted as she got into the song. Branch ripped off his vest and threw it to the crowd as he walked up to the mic stand and started dancing with the mic stand.

 _Dirty babe, you see these shackles baby? I'm your slave. I'll let you rip me if I misbehave."_ Branch shook his booty in a teasing measure towards Peppy to bug him knowing that Peppy didn't like his music. To no surprise Peppy just rolled his eyes in disapproval and shook his head. " _It's just that no one makes me feel this way._

"Take them to the chorus!" Suki yelled.

 _Come on girl. Go 'head be gone it. Come to the back, go 'head be gone it. VIP, Go 'head be gone with it. Drinks on me, Go 'head be gone with it."_ Branch grabbed a guys beer and drank from it before tossing it to the side then he started twirking on stage. _Let me see what'cha twirking with. Go 'head be gone with it. Look at those hips! Go head be gone with it._ _You make me smile. Go 'head be gone with it, come here child, Go 'head be gone with it."_

" _Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go 'head be gone with it. Get your sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on._

Poppy was impressed, she listened to his CD's the whole trip to Eden but to see him actually perform live, she was amazed with just how talented of a singer, dancer and all around performer he really was. He literally was tearing up the stage, using the entire stage to his advantage. And the crowd was eating it up like pudding.

" _I'm bringing sexy back. Them motherfuckers don't know how to act. Girl let me make up for the things you lack."_ Branch started using his hand to playfully fan himself. " _Cause your burning up I gotta get it fast."_

"Take them to the bridge"

Branch bent down and grabbed Cooper's hat and put it on backwards as he started singing the bridge. _Dirty babe, you see these shackles baby? I'm your slave. I'll let you rip me if I 's just that no one makes me feel this way."_

"Take them to the Chorus."

" _Come on girl. Go 'head be gone it. Come to the back, go head be gone it. VIP, Go 'head be gone with it. Drinks on me, Go 'head be gone with it. Let me see what'cha twirking with. Go 'head be gone with it. Look at those hips! Go 'head be gone with it._ _You make me smile. Go 'head be gone with it, come here child, Go 'head be gone with it."_

" _Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go 'head be gone with it. Get your sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on._

The crowd was going nuts, especially the twins. Branch even found himself having a hell of a good time. For the first time in years. He felt like his old self again.

 _You ready, you ready, you ready?"_

The whole crowd cheered "YES!"

" _I'm bringing sexy back. You motherfuckers watch how I act. If that's your girl, better watch your back. Cause she's burning up for me and that's a fact._

"Take the to the chorus!"

" _Come on girl. Go head be gone it. Come to the back, go head be gone it. VIP, Go 'head be gone with it. Drinks on me, Go 'head be gone with it. Let me see wha'tcha twirking with. Go 'head be gone with it. Look at those hips! Go head be gone with it._ _You make me smile. Go 'head be gone with it, come here child, Go 'head be gone with it."_

" _Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go 'head be gone with it. Get your sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on. Go head be gone with it. Get'cha sexy on._

The crowd just roared. Branch couldn't believe it. He was feeling happy again.

" _You ready? You ready? You ready?"_

Branch walked off the stage giving five to everyone he walked past. Poppy ran up to him as fast as she could and jumped in his arms.

"Branch that was amazing!" Poppy squealed "You killed it up there."

"I didn't know I still had that in me." Satin and Chenille ran up next, panting like over hyper fan girls.

"Oh my gosh that was amazing that was fantastic, oh I'm going to faint, I need some water." Branch and Poppy just couldn't help but giggle at their reactions.

After the party Branch went to see Gristle, one of the good bergens who helped find this place for the trolls. Branch was still a little uneasy on the idea of living among bergens, but he knew none of the trolls would be down for this plan of his, so despite his nerves he found himself entrusting this project with Gristle.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gristle asked Branch after he explained his project. "Eden has been around for over a year now and Chef has never came close to finding us. Are you sure this is necessary?"

"Yes," Branch insisted "Look I hope Chef never finds us too, but if she does we need a plan of action. How do you think I survived out there in the desert as long as I did? By being prepared for anything."

Gristle looked over the blue prints for Branch's project. The project insisted of remote control machine guns planted at every wall. Heavily armored five trolled tanks. Mine fields at the entrance of every building.

"The mine fields will only be activated in case of emergency. These mines will remain turned off as long as there is no threat of Chef."

"It's not the mines I'm worried about Branch, it's the last thing on your list. A Atom bomb?"

"Absolute last resort. If Chef's army becomes to powerful and the very survival of our kind depends on blowing Eden up to send that witch to hell then so be it. All the trolls will be evacuated, and that bomb will only be activated once everyone is at a safe distance."

"And who will activate it then?"

"Me."

"I can't let you do that."

"Look if one troll has to die in order to ensure the entire survival of our kind then I am more than willing to take that fall. Hopefully this plan will never go into affect. But if Chef does find us, and the only way to keep her from finding everybody else is by me staying behind, activating the bomb and blowing that witch to hell, then so bloody be it. Now, will you help me on this project or not?"

Gristle wanted to say no, he didn't want to believe that there was even a possibility of Chef finding them. But even if there was a fraction of a chance, they had to be ready. "I will help you. But you better pray to God this never goes into affect.

Later that night Branch sat alone in his home writing on a sheet of paper, the only source of light being the table lamp that sat on his desk. With Gristle agreeing to help with his extreme security system the rest of Branch's focus was spent on relaxing and not thinking about the dangers that waited outside those Eden walls. Branch was still at his desk when he heard a knock on his door.

"It's unlocked!" Branch hollered out. He turned around to see Poppy entering the door.

"Hey Branch."

"I should have known it would be you." Branch sighed.

"Hey just to let you know everybody enjoyed your little performance earlier. You really brightened up my sisters day. They haven't shut up about it since it happened."

"Everybody enjoyed it huh?"

"Well except my dad. But he'll get over it." Poppy noticed the sheet of paper at Branch's desk and the pen in his hand. "What'cha working on?"

"Oh just a unfinished song that me and my band worked on but never was able to complete. We was hoping for it to be the big single from our next album, but after the bergen attack that album never got a chance to get made."

"How come you never finished it?"

"Well we could never get the song just the way we wanted. We kept saying something was missing from it but we could never agree on what it was."

"Mind if I take a look at it?"

"If you want, but I really don't know how you could help." Poppy took the paper off Branch's desk and started to look through it, then to Branch's surprise she started singing the words on the page.

" _You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged."_

Branch paused, his eyes then went wide with excitement. "Sing that again."

"Okay" Poppy said confused _"You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged."_

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

"What's it?"

"That's the thing the song was missing. None of us got it before, but what the song was missing was a duet with a female singer." Branch then ran to his piano on the other side of the room and started playing. Poppy walked over and joined him at the piano as he started playing.

" _You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged. Oh how I realize it's hard to take courage. In a world full of people. You can lose sight of it all, and the darkness inside you can make you feel so small."_

" _Show me a smile then, don't be unhappy, can't remember when..."_ Branch then nodded to Poppy to sing the next line.

" _I last saw you laughing."_

" _This world makes you crazy_ " Branch sang " _And you've taken all you can bear."_

" _Just call me up and you know I will always be there."_ Poppy sang. Before Poppy knew it Branch got up from his piano, grabbed Poppy's hand and started to lead her in a dance across the living room. Poppy was taken aback and surprised at first but she soon gladly accepted the dance.

" _And I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors and that's why I love you."_ Both of them paused once Branch sang that one line and looked straight into each others eye. Did Branch really mean it? Did he really love Poppy? The whole trip Branch seemed annoyed towards Poppy and now he just said he loved her. Branch wasn't entirely sure himself, but he did know that his opinion and feeling toward Poppy was changing drastically. Poppy smiled and sang the next line.

" _So don't be afraid to let them show, your true colors are beautiful."_

" _I see your true colors shining through."_ Branch sang as he twirled Poppy around.

" _True colors."_ Poppy echoed.

" _I see your true colors."_ Branch sang

" _And that's why I love you."_ Poppy joined in. _"So don't be afraid to let them show."_

" _Your true colors."_

" _True colors are beautiful."_

" _Like a rainbow."_ Branch sang.

 _Ohh-ohh-oh-ohh like a rainbow."_ Poppy sang.

" _Oh can't remember when."_ Branch sang.

" _I last saw you laughing."_ Poppy joined in. _"Ohh-ohh- oh-ohh. This world makes you crazy. And you've taken all you can bear. Just call me up cause I will always be there."_

Branch and Poppy both stopped dancing and stared into each others eyes while hand in hand as they both finished the song together. _"And I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors, and that's why I love you. So don't be afraid, to let them show, your true colors, true colors, are beautiful..."_

" _Like a rainbow"_ Branch sang, getting as close as he could to Poppy's face, they were almost touching noses.

" _Ohh-ohh-oh-ohhh Like a rainbow. Ohh-ohh-ohh"_ Poppy finished.

Neither one knew why, but as soon as the song finished they both locked lips, giving in to their feelings. For the first time they both realized that they had fallen for each other, and they weren't going to fight it any more. His lips locked onto hers, Branch picked Poppy up off the floor and carried her to his room and plopped her down on his bed. Branch then took his shirt and vest off and tackled jumped on top of Poppy as they both got lost in another kiss. Poppy broke the kiss only briefly to remove her top, giggling in the process. Ever so slowly they each removed every article on clothing they had on and made love there on Branch's bed. For Poppy this is the first time she actually had sex with someone for actual love and not because her life literally depended on it. For Branch this was the first time he experienced true happiness since the war started. For the first time, he actually believed that he could be happy without his grandma, that maybe he can move on. As they both fell asleep together on Branch's bed, Poppy laying naked on top of Branch's chest, his arm wrapped around her back Branch thought maybe, just maybe he could move on after all. And if this is what his future held for him then he could truly be happy once again.

 **And we have our first official Broppy moment. It is now official, you can feel free to scream.**

 **Song credits "I love it" By Icona Pop**

 **"Sexy Back" By Justin Timberlake**

 **And "True Colors" From Trolls.**


	12. One year later

**The results are in, You all loved the Broppy moment from the last chapter. If you loved that scene then you will all explode during this one. I actually had to hold back on the Broppy scene in this chapter so the scene didn't become like Fifty Shaded of Grey.**

 **BTW I will never do a Fifty Shades of Grey adaption, anybody who asks will get a angry PM from me filled with a lot of swearing and angry emoji's  
**

 _Branch's Journal August 31st 2050_

 _It's been a year to the day when I first arrived to Eden, never would I have dreamed how far I would progress in such a time. No longer am I going to bed each night wondering if I would survive another day, no more am I locking my doors and spending my days in hiding, no longer am I scared. My life has meaning again, I am happy, I am active, I found love. Me and Poppy has grown closer then I ever thought possible. When she first broke into my bunker last year and told me all this stuff about Eden I thought she was a crazy idiot who must have had a mental breakdown and started believing in a fairy tale in order to cope with her breakdown. She was annoying and drove me crazy and I never thought we would be nothing more then mere acquaintances looking to achieve the same goal of survival. But something changed over the course of a short time. The more I got to understood this girl, the more I saw myself in her, my crazy balanced out her crazy and I saw that we made a great team._

 _Her son and sisters have taken a liking to me too. The twins idolize me, they have a giant poster of me and my band from back in the day, and I might be crazy but I think I saw one of them kissing the poster where my face was one night. I think they are jealous that I am with Poppy instead of them, buts that's the life of a member of a boy band. Every girl with a ten year of age radius wants to get in your pants._

 _Winter clings onto me like I'm his real daddy. I think he actually considers me his father, considering Creek never shows him any affection. He draws pictures of me, drags me out when I'm trying to take a nap to play fetch and even wants me to read bed time stories for him most nights. During my birthday a couple months back Winter, who just recently turned four drew a picture of him with me and Poppy. He was in between the two of us and was holding onto each of our hands. He then asked shortly afterword if I ever planned on marrying his mom. I hadn't ever thought of it at that time. I told him maybe someday when the time is right but not yet. Will I someday marry Poppy? Maybe, quite possibly. Right now though I am just enjoying a life I never thought I would ever see again, I life without fear, without death, without war._

 _Grandma, if you are reading this from up above, which I know you are because you always was nosy, I want you to know that I still miss you but I am happy. And that you was right about me over everything. Love you Grandma and I will see you again, just not yet._

By this time in their relationship Poppy had given Branch a key to her house, which he always kept tucked away in his hair for safe keeping. After his latest journal entry Branch walked over to Poppy's house and unlocked the key to Poppy's apartment. All of Poppy's friends improved of Branch and Poppy's relationship and considered the two of them soul mates. Peppy wasn't quite okay with the relationship at first considering his dislike for Branch's music but overtime he eventually warmed up to him, even though he still didn't like that they often spent the night together.

As Branch walked into the house he heard the sound of the shower running, a smirk forming across his face Branch slowly walked to over to the bathroom and saw all of Poppy's cloths laying in a giant pile of the floor. Unable to control himself Branch quickly undressed himself as well and opening the shower door he joined Poppy in the shower. Poppy's back was turned to him as she faced the shower nozzle to wash some soap off her face. She didn't notice Branch's presence until he grabbed her from behind, twirled her around and planted a kiss right on her lips. Poppy's eyes widened in surprise at first, not realizing that Branch had even entered the house let alone got in the shower with her, but after a couple of seconds she relaxed, closed her eyes and sank into the kiss. Branch pressed forward and pressed Poppy's back against the wall as he went deeper with the kiss, their chests both pressed against each other as they made out in the shower, the hot water pouring on their bare skin.

After fifteen minutes of love in the shower, Branch lifted Poppy off her feet, Poppy wrapped her hands around Branch's shoulders and her legs around his waist. Branch wrapped one hand around her back and another on her butt and their licks were still locked as Branch carried her out of the shower, not even bothering to turn the shower water off as he carried her to her room, leaving their clothes on the floor, and plopping her on the bed. Poppy giggled as Branch leaped on top of her, landing directly on top her as he started kissing her lips then making his way to her jawline and neck. Branch's then grabbed Poppy and rolled over so she was on top of him. Branch's hands wrapped themselves over Poppy's breast and Poppy closed her eyes and started moaning as the two of them made love, starting with Poppy on the top, and Branch on the bottom before they repositioned a couple times and eventually ended up on the floor, a result of having too much of a good time.

After forty five minutes of making love the two of them laid in bed, Poppy resting her head on Branch's chest and Branch stroking his hand across Poppy's butt, both of them were still naked not having got dressed yet.

"You Branch know how to entertain a woman." Poppy giggled as she laid on top of Branch.

"Comes with years of practice."

"Oh so I'm not the first woman you've done this with?"

"Oh yeah, I was a celebrity before the war remember? One night stands use to be a common thing. Sometimes I would entertain two women at the same time."

"You certainly were a wild one back in the day."

"Well back then I was young and stupid. Now I'm older and slightly less stupid."

Poppy laughed at that remarked and kissed Branch before cooing and laying her head back down on his chest, stroking her index finger across his abs. "So were any of the woman as good as me?"

"Are you trying to set me up?" Branch laughed

"Well that depends on how you answer." Poppy smirked

"Well in that case no." Branch replied " Although, back then we wasn't doing it because of love, but because it was fun. Back then we did what we wanted without the fear of consequences. It was a fun time then. You though are the first time I actually did it because out of actual love."

"Ah, I'm special"

"So," Branch replied "I know you were forced to have sex with Creek back as a prisoner, but did you ever do it before then out of love?"

"Well I once had a pretty feisty make out session with a boy back in High School. We actually was able to strip down to our underwear and might have actually gone all the way if dad hadn't just happened to barge in the room right then. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw what was going on. He grabbed his cane and started swinging it at the boy and chased the boy out in the street, still in his underwear and carrying his clothes in his hands. I don't think I ever heard my dad scream out as many profanities as he did that night while chasing that boy out, while swinging his cane at him."

Branched burst out laughing imagining Peppy chasing out a half naked boy down the street. "I bet that was the end of that relationship."

"Oh you know it, and I was grounded for a month afterword. But as you said back then I was young and stupid."

"Well you seemed to have gotten over it just fine."

"Oh yeah, after all, I got you now don't I?"

"Yeah, yeah you do. And I'm not going anywhere." The two of them kissed one last time before the two of them fell asleep in each other arms.

Poppy woke up in the middle of the night feeling something funny in her stomach area. Making sure she didn't wake up Branch she got up and walked quietly to the bathroom. Finally turning off the shower water, which had been running the whole time thanks to their little session, Poppy stepped over her clothes that was still on the floor reached down under her bathroom sink and pulled out a pregnancy test kit. After running the test Poppy looked down at the result and gasped, it read positive. Poppy couldn't believe it, she was pregnant.

Poppy was asleep when Branch woke up at six the following morning. Getting dressed Branch left a note on Poppy's dining room table explaining that he had left and would be back later. He had been awoken by a text from Gristle that his _"extreme defense system"_ as Gristle called it was completed, now it just waited on Branch's approval.

"We went all out like you requested." Gristle explained as he walked Branch across a hallway in one of the main building in Eden. "We didn't hold nothing back, land mines, trap doors, booby traps, and of course..." Gristle punched in some numbers on a keypad and a large metal door opened revealing a dozen armored tanks.

"Whoa," was all Branch could say when he saw the tanks.

"Each tank is made to fit five trolls," Gristle replied. "The body of the tanks are made with some of the strongest metal on the planet so piercing them would be near impossible. With them being a five man tank each tank has five heavy powered machine guns, placed on all four sides of the tank as well as on top."

"I'm impressed," Branch replied

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet," Gristle gloated "We also have machine guns placed at the entrances of Eden that will go off immediately if any unregistered bergen comes within ten feet of the facility. We have put each bergen that works here in Eden in it's system so that only the bergens that work for Chef will be targeted." Gristle then took out a Ipad and showed Branch more of the defense system. "Land mines are placed all throughout the camp, they will only be activated if a threat is detected so no child playing soccer or anything sets them off. Many of the building have death traps set up that included a trap door that leads to a floor of spikes, a wall that will open up and shoot venomous darts, and my personal favorite, a wall that shoots out fire." Just like the land mines they will only be activated in case of a threat and is created to detect enemy bergens in order to avoid friendly fire."

"And how about the Atom bomb?" Branch asked

"Placed in the back of Eden, kept far away from any other structure. Once activated it will blow up Eden and everything else within a ten mile radius. I surely hope we don't need to use this thing though."

"I hope not either, which is why it will be the absolute last resort system."

"So what do you think?"

"I like it, you did well Gristle."

"Good because I had to pull a lot of strings in order to get some of the other bergens to agree to help me on this, as well as make them swear to secrecy about it. But I promise on the slim chance that Chef ever does find this place, with these weapons by are side she will be walking straight into a trap."

Four hundred miles South in North America, Chef was leaning over a table looking over a map of the rest of the United States. Many of her trusted Lieutenants was with her going over places they had searched for the missing trolls. Despite it being a year since they last saw Branch and Poppy, and two years since the trolls escape from her prison camp, Chef was still working hard as ever to track down the trolls.

"There have been some rumored sighting of some trolls over in Boston and Cleveland as well as in Philadelphia." One Bergen Lieutenant replied pointing a stick at those places on the map. "We sent some soldiers to search those areas but each time they came up empty."

"What were the trolls reported doing during those times?" Chef asked

"According to witnesses they were raiding shops, cleaning many businesses out of thousands dollars worth of food. The interesting thing is that all of these reports were around the same time.

"A supply run perhaps?" Chef suggested "Wherever Eden is it must have limited supplies for them to risk being out in the open like that. Were there any other similar sightings around a different time frame?"

"Well a few months later there was sightings in Pittsburgh and other surrounding cities. About a three to four month time frame between the attacks.

"Were any of the trolls Poppy or that Branch that traveled with her?"

"We have their wanted posters strapped all across the country, have them at the top of the most wanted lists and offered a one million dollar reward for their capture and not one of the trolls described fits them. Where ever they are hiding, they are not coming out."

Chef was silent for about a minute as she pondered over the info she was given "When was the last troll sighting?"

"About four months to the day General. What are you thinking?"

The trolls will probably be making another supply run soon, And when they do, we will be ready. Tell Troopers in every state to set up base around popular grocery and convenient stores. We must sat up traps for them. Poppy might not have given out the info we needed, but another one might just spill the beans."

"Very well General." The Lieutenant nodded and saluted Chef before walking out of the room. Chef smirked evilly as she glared down at her map.

"Run, run, little Poppy, because I don't need you to find where you are hiding. All I need is for one of your other troll friends to sell you out, then you and every other last troll in Eden will finally be mine again.

 **Fun fact, the shower sequence was one of the first scenes for this story that I created in my head, right after the scene of Branch burying his grandmother in the woods. I know it is weird that those were the first two scenes I made for this story but I am a weird person.**


	13. Creek's capture

**Fair warning this chapter features a couple scenes that might be considered a little disturbing.**

It was the time of the month again for the trolls to make another supply run. The same as every month dozens of trucks would line up at the front gates filled at least five or six trolls a piece ready to cross to Canadian border into the northern United States to get food and other supplies. Peppy ensured that the runs didn't last more than a week to ensure the safety of the trolls, the longer they stayed outside Eden the greater the chance of being spotted. The brave trolls that volunteered for the runs knew the dangers of going outside the gates, but without food they wouldn't survive so despite the danger they armed themselves and braved the danger for the survival of the trolls.

This month Branch decided to join the supply run. It was only his second time taking part of a supply run but the first since his relationship with Poppy went public. He hated to leave Poppy for a long period of time, but with his survival skills from living in the desert as long as he did he felt like he could be needed. He was stocking up on guns and ammo when he heard a knock on his door. Unsurprisingly Poppy walked in.

"Please don't try to talk me out of this Poppy, they need me out there."

"I'm not Branch, even though I wish I could. I am actually here to give you something." Poppy reached into her hair and pulled out a small picture of herself and handed it to him. "So you can have me close to you even if I'm not with you in the flesh." Branch took the picture and as he looked at it a small smile formed on his face and he grabbed Poppy and pulled her in for a kiss. They were still locked in a kiss when Winter ran into the house.

"Branch why are you leaving me?"

"Oh Winter." Branch replied kneeling down to pat Winter on the hair "I would never leave you."

"Your going away though."

"Just for a week. It's a mandatory supply run."

"But what if you get lost like mommy did? You might not make it back."

"Winter, knowing that you and your mom is here waiting for me is enough for me to ensure that I make it back safely."

"Besides I didn't get lost," Poppy replied "I got left behind by your idiot father. But Creek isn't allowed on supply runs anymore because of that. Branch will be with many of my closest friends. He couldn't be in safer hands."

"I will return I promise." Branch then reached into his hair and pulled out his Ipod and handed it to Winter. "I will be back for this, it's filled with my greatest hits."

"Okay," Winter then leaped into Branch's arms and wrapped his arms around Branch's neck in a deep hug.

"I love you Branch."

"I love you to Winter."

Tears fell down Poppy's eyes as she witnessed just how much Branch cared for her son. She knew he would make a great father. Poppy's eyes widened in realization, she hadn't told Branch the news yet. "Winter baby, can you go play with your friends for a second I need to talk to Branch alone for a second."

"Yes mommy." Winter reluctantly said as he walked out, not quite ready to leave Branch's side.

"What was that all about?" Branch asked

"I need to tell you something important, and it can't wait until you return."

"What is it?"

"Something amazing has happened Branch." Poppy smiled wrapping her arms around Branch's neck and staring lovingly into his eyes. "Your going to be a father."

"I'm going to be a what...?" Branch gasped as it donned on him. "Wait your...?"

"Yes Branch. I'm pregnant." Branch froze in place completely speechless for a few seconds.

"We're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby," Poppy cried in joy

"Yes, I'm going to be a big brother!" The two of them heard Winter say from outside. Apparently he was standing behind the door listening to the whole conversation.

"Winter I thought I told you to go give us some privacy."

"I'm leaving now." Winter giggled

Branch felt his legs getting weak causing him to sit down on the floor. "I never thought I would live to see this happen. With the world the way it is, and the bergens after us, I... I never thought this would be possible."

"There's always light Branch, even in the darkest of places, and the darkest of times."

Branch couldn't stop the tears from flowing "Oh my god I'm so blessed." Branch pulled Poppy down and rested her head on his lap as he gave her another kiss. "I only wish Grandma was alive to witness this.

"She's witnessing it I promise." Poppy said "Up there, she is dancing with joy over this."

"I need to finish packing." Branch replied ending the moment, even though he wished it could go on for a bit longer. "But now I know I am going to return to you."

Poppy helped Branch pack for the week, then she and Winter walked Branch to the front gate where Biggie, Cooper, Suki, Guy Diamond and Fuzzbert waited for him.

"You look like you would rather stay home and screw Poppy all day." Cooper teased.

"What and let you five have all the glory? And watch your mouth there's a child present."

"Oh don't worry, I've heard dad say worse."

"How worse?" Poppy growled. Winter whispered every bad word that Creek taught him in her ear.

"He said _those_ words around you!?"

"Okay I think it's time we go. I think Poppy's going to kill Creek." Branch said witnessing Poppy's face get redder and redder.

"I for one wouldn't mind witnessing that." Guy Diamond responded.

Branch forced the other five in the car then drove off. Cooper was able to witness Poppy handing Winter over to Peppy and run toward the direction of Creek's house, before the truck pulled out of the gate. Cooper couldn't help but let out a giggle knowing what awaited Creek when Poppy showed up.

"What's with the smile on your face Branch?" Suki noticed as Branch drove the truck out of Eden. "I thought you'd be all droopy and depressed leaving Poppy.

"Oh I am, but it's hard not to be happy knowing that you are about to be a father."

"Wait huh?" The other five gasped.

"Oh my gah." Smidge screamed "Poppy's pregnant!"

"Yes!" Biggie screamed "I knew this was day was going to come, I am so happy for you. So, does this mean your finally going to propose to her?"

"Your going to have to now Branch." Suki replied "Poppy needs at least the father of one of her kids to actually be in their life."

"Well I wasn't planning on doing it so soon." Branch admitted "But this changes everything. I think, maybe when we get back. I might go ahead and finally do it."

"Honestly I don't know why you haven't already?" Smidge replied "Everybody knows how much you love her."

"Oh I can't wait to see the cute little thing." Biggie squealed "Can I be the godfather?"

"Hell no I done already called dibs on that." Cooper replied

"Did not."

"Did too."

"I did not once hear you call dibs on being godfather."

"I just did."

"Saying it after someone else already asked for it does not count."

"It does too."

"No it doesn't."

Branch couldn't help but laugh at the two arguing over the godfather role. Branch now knew why Poppy loved these five so much.

Creek knew that Poppy could be dangerous when she needed to be. But he never knew just _how_ dangerous until he found himself on the receiving in of her wrath. Poppy literally teared down his door and beat the crap out of him while scolding him for teaching her child bad words. Creek of course blamed it on him being drunk but that only made Poppy even more angry for drinking around him. By the time Poppy's anger has soothed Creek found himself with a black eye and a bloody nose as well as a couple of bruised ribs.

Creek of course didn't really care if Poppy was angry with him or not. He never apologized for anything in his life and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. The only thing that bothered him was how Peppy refused to send him on the supply runs anymore. Sure he went farther down South then what he was allowed, deep into bergen territory, and sure he left Poppy behind when she fell behind, but it was all to get the best quality food instead of the crap that was served up North. Creek was sure that after a year that Peppy would have forgotten everything by now and would have forgiven him but apparently he didn't. Creek didn't need Peppy's forgiveness, and he wasn't going to wait around for it either. Creek decided that if he wasn't going to be allowed on these group supply runs then he would just go on one himself in secret. And he would bring back better food and supplies then anyone else. That would show Peppy and everyone else he knew what he was doing, and he was going to rub it in everyone's faces too.

After cleaning up his wounds, Creek got in his truck and drove to the gates. He paid Chad and Todd good to open the gates and keep quite about what he was doing. Opening up the gates Creek drove off and headed deep South. He drove three days straight, not even stopping for the night to sleep. The sooner he got his supplies, the sooner he would prove to Peppy his worth. Creek finally stopped at a convenient store in Oklahoma. Pulling his rifle out of his hair Creek marched into the store and opened fire. He shot the store manager in the chest and started gunning down every bergen worker and civilian that was in the store.

What Creek did next, crossed every line that Peppy taught him when going on supply runs. He saw a mother bergen clinging onto her young daughter in fear. Creek swung his hair, wrapped it around the girls neck over and dragged her over to him. He then pressed his gun to her head.

"Now listen hear you filthy bergen shit!" Creek ordered. "You are going to load my truck up with as much food and supplies as you can. And your going to get it done within thirty minutes, or this girls brains go spilling on the floor."

The surviving bergens wasted no time, they grabbed everything that they could get their hands on and loaded it in the trucks. All the while, Creek never removed his rifle from the girl's head.

"Why are you doing this?" The bergen girl asked

"Because you bergen started this war first." Was all Creek said.

Within twenty minutes Creek's truck was filled with boxes among boxes of food and paper supplies. Satisfied Creek threw the girl back to her mother and walked out, his gun still pointed to the bergens.

"If any of you dare follow me, your dead."

Creek then got in his truck and drove off. As soon as Creek was out of sight the mother of the bergen girl he held at gun point took out her phone and made a frantic call.

"Hello Chef a troll just robbed the store I was in and held my daughter at gun point."

"Give me a description of him, what he was driving and where he is heading."

Three hours later, as Creek was entering Kansas he saw a group of vehicles, much larger then his come driving towards his direction. The vehicle's swerved into his lane and despite Creek's attempt to swerve to avoid hitting them, the vehicle hit his truck dead on and at high speed. If it wasn't for Creek's airbag going off Creek would have been dead on impact.

His truck totaled and no longer in driving condition Creek opened the door and drug his bloodied body out into the street. He was wounded badly. Just by the way he felt he knew he had some broken ribs and at possible a concussion. The fact that he couldn't feel his right leg also indicated that it was broken.

Creek dragged himself across the street, leaving a trail of blood behind him as he went, he tried desperately to get himself to safety, but it wasn't long until he felt a giant foot on his back and a gun pressed against his head. A horrified chill went across his body as he suddenly heard the evil voice of the one bergen he hoped he would never see again.

"Hello Creek."

"Chef?" Creek was then struck in the back of the head and knocked unconscious.

Creek woke up four hours later to see himself tied to a wooden stake. Creek didn't know where Chef had taken him, but since he got knocked out it had gotten dark outside. Creek noticed at his feet was a pile of sticks and several buckets of gasoline. Wait, where they really going to...? Creek suddenly started sweating with fear, and the sudden bone chilling chuckle from Chef as she walked up to him definitely didn't help.

"You Know Creek, I'm impressed. You went and raided a store, all by yourself and managed to kill seven bergens in the process. Then, you go and hold a five year old girl at gunpoint and make the surviving bergens do your dirty work. Well, even for a woman like me that's pretty darn cold."

"Yeah but committing mass genocide is perfectly acceptable?" Creek sassed.

"I am just fulfilling the basic natures of evolution. Survival of the fittest. Bergens are the most powerful species in the universe. You trolls, and the other species that plagued this planet were weak, and didn't deserve to walk this planet. I am just fixing mother natures mistakes."

"The only mistake was your mother never aborting you," Creek hissed.

"You talk tough Creek, I like it. But I'm not the one tied to a stake, you are." Chef didn't seem even the slightest bit intimidated "Now, I'm going to ask this nicely, just once. Where is Eden?"

"Suck a cock." Creek hissed.

"You have a bad mouth on you." Chef replied "We are just going to have to fix that." Chef snapped her fingers then two bergen soldiers grabbed a gasoline bucket and started pouring it on both Creek and the stick pile at his feet.

"What are you doing?" Creek gasped in fear "What are you doing?"

"Let's try this again shall we?" Chef chuckled as she pulled out a matchbox, took out a match and lit it. Creek's eyes widened in horror. "Are you going to tell me where the trolls are or am I going to have to..."

"No wait stop!" Creek screamed "They are in Canada! The bergens that betrayed you set up a troll sanctuary in the Canadians mountains, knowing the country was not safe to bergens because they can't handle the cold. That's the truth I swear!"

"Thank you, _traitor."_

Creek gasped when he just realized what he did, he just sold all of Eden out, betrayed them. "No, what have I done?"

"What you have done is delivered the whole troll population to _me!"_ Chef called her two soldiers that was with her over. "I think it's time for a celebration boys. In fact, I say this calls for a celebration _feast!"_

"Wait? I thought you were going to let me go if I...?"

"Your cattle Creek." Chef replied sternly "That's all you trolls will ever be. And _you_ are past your breeding years." Chef flicked the lighted match in Creek's direction. Thanks to the gasoline poured on him Creek's entire body as well as the entire stake lit up in flames within a second. Chef grinned sadistically as she watched Creek screamed in agony as he burned.

"Chef you aren't possibly thinking about going up to those mountains are you?" One of Chef's soldiers asked, distracting her attention from Creek's fiery death. "We will never be able to survive the cold temperatures of those mountains."

"Then you better grab a coat soldier."

"But you were the one that considered Canada off limits."

"I know what I did!" Chef yelled "But nothing is going to stop me from getting my trolls. I want every last soldier in my army to march up there. We are getting our trolls back!"

 **It's the moment you all knew coming but hoped never would. Chef now knows the location of Eden. I don't think I am spoiling anything when I say all hell is about to break loose. Stay tuned to see what happens next. If your brave enough. *Lighting strikes as I release a evil laugh***


	14. Last line of defense

**We are entering the final stretch with this story. By my calculations I would say we have two, maybe three chapters left after this one.**

 **Fair warning, this chapter is extremely violent and contains a fair amount of language. And there is also a good chance I might get hate mail after this chapter. You've been warned.**

Three days later the trolls returned with enough supplies to last them the month. Branch of course was greeted with a huge hug and kiss from Poppy and Winter. Peppy also surprisingly greeted Branch with a hug, informing him that Poppy broke the news to him while he was gone. Peppy told Branch that he was excited over the news of another grandchild, but warned him that if he neglected his new grandchild like Creek did that he would feed him to Chef's army as a peace treaty. For some reason Branch believed that he was only halfway joking.

It was the twins that was the most excited over the news. The second Peppy was done with him the twins ran over and started listing him the plans for the baby shower, the party games, as well as fifty different names of both gender for when the baby's gender was released. Branch, who was already exhausted from the long trip, just nodded and said yes to every idea they tossed his way to tired to really debate the plans. After spending thirty minutes listening, and trying to tune out the twins he finally made it home and collapsed in bed, getting some well earned sleep.

He didn't wake up until almost noon the morning. Fixing himself a cup of coffee he walked up to the top of the Eden gates and sat next to Gristle, who was on guard patrol that day.

"Mind if I join you?" Branch asked

"I suppose so," Gristle replied. Branch pulled up a chair next to Gristle and watched over Eden.

"You know Gristle," Branch started as he took a sip of coffee. "I will admit when I first came here to Eden I wasn't exactly very trusting of you bergens."

"Really?"

"For years the only thing I heard of bergens was how they were wiping out our kind, attacking and abducting every troll they could get their hands own. I watched as my own concert was attacked by Chef and my band mates were abducted. Hearing the stories about the prison camps didn't help either. But as I have stayed here I have come to think that maybe peace is indeed possible between trolls and bergens. Maybe if we can somehow defeat Chef, maybe the trolls and bergens can start over in the real world and places like this won't be needed."

"We can dream," Gristle replied "You know Branch, I never wanted to be part of Chef's army. My father was ill and I was desperate for money. Chef came to my door and promised to pay all the funds I needed to help my dad if I joined her army. At the time I was young and desperate so I joined without question. It wasn't until I was already secured in her army when I realized the mistake I made. I witnessed to my horror all the sadistic things that monster did to not just trolls but all the other species she wiped off. I saw her trap entire families of goblins, including women and young children in their homes and burn them, and laugh as she was doing it."

"Chef even murdered her own men if they made her mad. One day Chef was having a meeting with one of her top Lieutenants and one of lower rank soldier interrupted the meeting to report some unimportant news. After the meeting Chef found that man listening to music in his jeep while own patrol. She drug him out and after beating him to a pulp she slammed the jeep door repeatedly against his face until the door decapitated him. He then had me and Bridget bury the body. That was when the two of us and some other bergens who witnessed the event met up and tried to think of a plan to get out of her army. It wasn't until she imprisoned the trolls that we finally decided the best course of action was to find a safe haven for the trolls and escape together. There are a lot of regular bergen citizens that don't agree with Chef, but they are to afraid to speak out against her in fear of their life."

"Well at least you and your friends weren't to scared to help." Branch suddenly noticed something off in the distance. Grabbing a set of binoculars he stood up and looked through them. He suddenly gasped and dropped the binoculars. "Chef, she's coming."

"What!" Gristle picked the binoculars off the floor and took a look for himself, sure enough Chef and a army of thousands of bergens was on her way. "But how?"

"I don't know. But we got to get the word out. Eden is no longer safe!"

"How long do you think we have till they reach?"

"Judging by how far they were down the mountains I would say a few hours, tops!"

Gristle and Branch ran as fast as they could to Peppy. Upon hearing the news of Chef's army approaching he signaled a alarm causing all of Eden to arrive at Peppy's house wondering what was going on. It was Branch that explained the situation. Taking a bullhorn to explain to the crowd the serious situation. Needless to say the news of Chef finding the place raised a series of questions.

"How did Chef find us?" Smidge asked "This place is supposed to be impossible to find."

"Wait where's Creek?" Suki asked noticing Creek wasn't among group. "Wait, you don't think...?"

"That son of a bitch!" Poppy snapped

"What do we do now?" The twins asked.

"We evacuate." Peppy ordered "Grab only the necessities and get out of here."

"But our research?" The twins panicked "Our animals? We've came to far to give up on it, and we can't leave those animals behind."

"Well then grab them and load them up, but make it quick."

"Peppy," Branch grabbed Peppy by the shoulder and pulled him aside. "I need a group of trolls and bergens to stay behind and fight off Chef's army. I have traps set for them but judging by the number of bergens coming our way it won't be enough."

"I will have all my bergen guards stay behind and fend them off."

"It won't be enough, I got tanks ready and prepared to fight them off. I will stay behind and fight them off but I need some volunteers."

"No!" Poppy quickly replied, hearing Branch volunteering to stay behind. "You have to get out of here with us, please. Eden is a lost cause you cannot save it."

"I'm not trying to save it. I'm trying to save _us."_ Branch replied taking Poppy by the hands as he explained why he was staying behind. "As long as Chef is alive no place will ever be truly safe. We have to fight. Not for Eden but for the survival of our kind."

"Then I will stay and fight too."

"No I can't let you do that, you are pregnant and if this goes south Winter needs _one_ of his parents."

"Bullshit Branch. You and I took out hundreds of bergens by just ourselves. If anyone is qualified to stay behind it is us two."

"There is not just hundreds, there are thousands."

"Well then we will just have to fight even harder this time."

"I'm staying behind too." Peppy volunteered. "I run this place, I need to fight for it too."

"Then who will watch over Winter?"

"We will." The twins replied.

"Make sure you get him out safely."

"He will," The twins ensured "Trust us."

"We will stay behind and fight too." Guy Diamond and Biggie volunteered. "With the five of us, plus our bergens, Chef won't stand a chance."

"Very well then." Branch smiled "lets do this." Branch led the four trolls and the bergens to were the tanks were. The other trolls stared in shock when they saw the tanks.

"When did you make these?" Guy Diamond asked

"Me and Gristle sort of worked on them in secret this past year."

"I don't know if I should be grateful or annoyed by your paranoia."

The crew waited until they got word that the last of the evacuees were gone and safe. Then Branch and Gristle activated the defense system and drove their tanks out to the front of the Eden gates. Then it was just a waiting game.

A hour later Chef arrived with her entire army. Guy diamond gasped when he saw the size of the army.

"That's more then just a few thousand."

"More like a couple hundred thousand." Poppy replied

"Regardless they are going down all of them." Branch growled.

Chef ordered her army to stop just shy of the gates. Staring at the tanks ahead of them, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Isn't that cute. The trolls think they can stop me and my army with mobile tin cans on wheels. You underestimate the size of my army. Even if you take out a few of us. You can't stop us all. We will rip your tanks to shreds." Chef then turned to her men. "Take them out."

The bergens charged the gate, but before they broke down the gates automated machine guns popped out from on top of the gates and started firing. Gunning several down.

"Whoa, you really have been busy this year Branch!" Guy Diamond gasped

"You have know idea." Branch replied.

Chef ordered fire on the machine guns. Their was dozens of then lined up across the entire gate and they were all firing at the intruders. With no shields to defend themselves, Chef ordered her men to use the fallen soldiers as shields as they took out the guns. After five minutes, and more then fifty soldiers killed by the guns they finally took out the machine guns. Chef then took out a rocket launcher to blast a whole in the bergen gates. Once they had a opening they charged.

"For the trolls." Branch yelled as he led the tank crew into battle. Branch led the charge by firing the first canon, which ended up being a direct hit on oncoming army. The blast from the canon took out three bergens. "Charge!"

The tanks charged the bergen army. Branch and Guy Diamond manned the canons while Peppy, Poppy and Biggie handled the machine guns.

"Fuck you Chef!" Poppy screamed as she fired her machine gun at several oncoming bergens. She was beyond pissed that she dared invade her home and caused her friends to flee. The memories of what Chef did to her and her family. The death of her mother, and the deaths of more then three quarters of their population. Chef was going to pay for it , it was the trolls turn to fight back. "FUCK YOU!"

"FIRE!" Branch ordered, him and Guy Diamond fired another couple of canons, taking out another three bergens each "Great shot! Hit them again!" They fired again, down went another six bergens.

"Circle, circle," Chef ordered. "Surround the tanks, don't just sit there like sitting ducks, you are soldiers, you outnumber them!" The bergens ran to try to surround the tanks, as they ran the trolls and good bergens started gunning down as many as they could, laughing in the process.

"Die you sons of bitches!" Gristle laughed "Just like shooting fish in a barrel."

"There are a couple bergens hiding behind that propane tank," Branch noticed "Blow it up!"

"On it!" Peppy turned his machine gun and shot the propane tank. The Bergens behind it soon engulfed in flames and ran away screaming in agony as their entire body was engulfed from head to toe.

"Save your ammo, let them burn!" Branch ordered. "Poppy take over the canon!" Poppy walked over and took the canon from Branch. Branch walked over to the machine gun and looking through the lens caps he started unleashing bullet after bullets on Chef's army.

"This is for my grandma you demons!" Branch, refused to take his finger off the trigger, he fired bullet after bullet, hitting a bergen with each shot. He didn't stop until his round of three hundred bullets ran dry and causing him to reload.

"There heading left towards the barracks, gun those assholes down Biggie! Make them pay!" Peppy ordered. Biggie turned his gun left and shot down the bergens before they had a chance to raise their guns. "There are some running to your right, light them up like a Christmas tree!" Biggie turned right and took his targets down with several shots to the head. "Do that again that was beautiful."

"You got it chief!" Biggie reloaded and fired another round of three hundred bullets at the bergen army, most of them round up head shots while the rest landed in the chest and upper torso.

Finding a ditch, several bergens laid down in the ditch, using it as cover as they fired at the army of tanks. They hit one of the tanks, causing a small fire to form on it. But that also caused the tank to see them and fire a canon, blowing every bergen in the ditch up.

"There is a crew charging after us," Branch noticed. "Trying to take the tank, don't let it happen kick their butts." Poppy turned her canon toward the oncoming swarm and fired a canon right down the middle, blowing several of them up and causing the rest to scatter.

"Ha, look at them running like rats!" Poppy laughed

"Do it again!" Branch smiled. "Light them up!"

"You got it!" Poppy loaded another canon and fired it, blowing several up, while Branch sent several bullets through the skulls of Chef's army!

Several bergens ran into a abandoned house to use for cover, but Guy Diamond spotted it and fired four canons at it, causing it to explode "Yeah burn to the ground!" Guy Diamond then saw a oncoming swarm of bergens and reached for another canon when he noticed something.

"I'm out!"

"I'm out too!" Poppy realized.

"Oh shit now what?" Biggie asked.

"There's running out of ammo!" Chef realized, "Now's our chance, hit them with everything you have!" Chef's army charged and riddled the canons with everything they had. With no ammo the trolls and the good bergens were sitting ducks. Poppy heard a huge explosion outside and noticed that Chef's army had taken the tank that was on fire out with a R.P.G, she stared in horror as it exploded.

"We're down one tank!"

"What do we do?" Guy Diamond asked. They heard another explosion, another tank was down. They had no choice, they had to abandon the tanks.

"This is Branch, abandon the tanks!" Branch ordered through his walkie talkie. "I repeat abandon tanks and head for the main headquarters."

"There is still over two hundred thousand bergens out there. We barely made a dent." Biggie replied

"Well we got a hell of a better chance out there then what we do out here. We are sitting ducks as long as we are in here, now move." Branch opened the main hatch, taking out a grenade he tossed it outside causing the bergens to scatter as it blew up. The trolls and good bergens then stormed out and ran for the headquarters. They picked up guns of dead bergens and used several of their dead bodies as shields. They were almost at front door of the headquarters building when Peppy used up the last bullet in the gun he picked up. One of Chef's men ran up and pointed a nine millimeter in his face. Peppy threw the dead bergen he held at him and grabbed the gun. He barely was able to wrestle the gun barrel in the bergens direction as the gun went off, shooting the bergen in the head and coating Peppy in his blood. He was so caught up dealing with that one bergen that he didn't see the other bergen coming at him until he heard the sound of gunfire, and a bullet hit him in the shoulder.

"Dad!" Poppy screamed as he saw his father fall on the muddy ground and cling his shoulder. A sense of rage overtaking her, she pointed her assault rifle at the bergen who shot her dad and delivered two bullets straight to their chest. She continued to unload on every bullet she saw as Biggie and Guy Diamond picked Peppy up and carried him inside. Once her father was safe inside and the last of their small remaining army was safe inside Poppy finally went in herself and locked the door behind them.

"How is he?" Poppy asked as she ran over to check on her father.

"He should be okay." Bridget replied as she checked on him "He only got hit in the shoulder, but he needs medical attention. He's not safe in here."

"Nobody is." Guy Diamond replied "Those tanks were our best bet and they failed. We don't have enough ammo to take them all down. It's only a matter of time before they barge in here and take us all down. It's the fucking Alamo all over again, and they're the Mexicans. We're screwed."

"Maybe," Branch replied "But maybe not?"

"Branch, how on Earth are we going to beat them?" Biggie asked "Chef has every last one of her men out there. We don't have the fire power to stop them all."

"You don't maybe? But I do."

"Branch, what are you talking about?" Poppy asked

"There is one thing that can stop them. A atom bomb that I had Gristle built as a last line of defense."

"Branch no!" Bridgette cried "That will kill all of us."

"No, because you are all leaving. I am the only one of us that will get killed. I have to stay behind and activate it."

"Branch no!" Poppy cried "Please!"

"Branch I can't let you do this." Peppy protested.

"You have no choice." Branch replied "I can die today, so you can live tomorrow. There is a secret escape tunnel in the next room, take it and get out of here. There will be enough time for you to get to plenty safe away from the bomb before it erupts. Nobody else needs to die."

"Branch!" Poppy grabbed Branch by the hands and stared at him with tearful pleading eyes "Please, don't! Don't do this to me! Please don't leave me like Timber did, please!"

"I have to, Poppy."

"But what about our child? _YOUR CHILD!"_

"Tell her how I saved the world."

"Her, I don't even know the gender yet?"

"I just know it will be a girl." Branch replied with a tearful smile "So me a favor will you. Promise me you will love that child as much as you loved me. Teach her to be a ballerina, and play ball with her every weekend when it's warm. Sing to her, love on her, and tell her stories about how her father saved the entire troll species."

"Branch... Please!"

"Promise me for that please Poppy?"

Poppy sobbed she didn't want to do it, she didn't want to leave Branch, to leave another guy she loved. But Branch gave her a look telling her to trust him, that everything was going to be alright. So through sobbing eyes she nodded her head. "I promise."

"Poppy we need to move." Guy Diamond replied grabbing Poppy by the arm and pulling her away screaming. Biggie carried Peppy who was too weak from the bullet wound to walk. Branch stared at Poppy who was pleading for Branch. Part of Branch wanted to evacuate with her, but he knew he was the last line of defense for the trolls. If he left with them, they would never be safe. So as he watched as the rest of his friends escaped through the secret escape tunnel he stood firm, and armed himself for what he knew would be his last stand.

"Goodbye Poppy."

 **And I am going to hide in a cave for a while.**


	15. Last stand

**Sorry this took so long to get up, between finishing up Trainer of dragons and not having my computer charger for most of the week I got delayed getting this up. But it's up now and I promise the wait was worth it.**

 _Branch's Journal September 7th 2050  
_

 _It's finally happened, Chef has discovered Eden. The entire safe haven has been evacuated and what few trolls stayed behind pushed a hard attack that resulted in several of Chef's men getting killed. It wasn't enough and the tanks we used to attack them ended up destroyed and one of our own ended up severely injured. Now with Chef closing in on us I had no choice but to force the others to flee while I stay behind to detonate the bomb. It's a suicide mission I know, and I will die, but at least I can enter death knowing that I took out Chef with me, and that with my death that the rest of our kind can live. With this last journal entry I want to whoever may find this to know that my death wasn't for nothing, and I refused to go down without a fight, and a hell of a fight I gave them._

Branch stock piled on every weapon that he could find as he made his way toward the far side of Eden. He had to get to the bomb, if he could activate the atom bomb then all he would have to do is hold off as many bergens possible until it blew up, taking him out along with it. It was dumb, it was crazy, but it would work.

Climbing to the roof, Branch saw three bergens patrolling the building he was at. Branch didn't know where most of the weapons he got came from or how they ended up stocked in that building, but Branch took out three throwing stars and chunked them at the three bergens, each one planting themselves in the back of the bergens skulls killing them on impact.

The three dead bergens did not go unnoticed, several bergens saw Branch use his hair to swing to another building and open fire, taking out a assault rifle he fired back at the bergens shooting five in the head and chest by the time he landed on his next building then firing his gun at a land mine to take out two more.

Branch took out his binoculars to see how many buildings he needed to go before he arrived at the bomb, three. He could do this, he _had_ to do this, for the sake of their kind he had to take reach that bomb.

Taking out a bow he looked down at the bergens below him and fired arrow after arrow striking several bergens while dodging bullets along the way. Branch pulled out a shield to block several bullets that came flying his way then he shot out his hair and swung toward the next building. As he was swinging he fired his last arrow at a bergan holding a rocket launcher, he hit the arrow right between the bergen's eye killing him on impact. As Branch landed on the next building he stretched his hair out and grabbed the rocket launcher and pulled it toward him. He then fired the rocket launcher at a group of bergens sending them flying across the air.

"Two more building to go." Swinging over to the next building Branch pulled out several grenades and tossed them in every direction as he swung to the next building. "One building to go." Branch stared through his binoculars to see how far the final building was. It was to far away from him to swing over there by hair. A trolls hair could stretch a good ways, but they did have their limits. He was going to get there by foot. Branch took a deep breath and took out two hand guns. Exhaling he jumped off the building and ran towards his destination. Several bergens saw him and fired his way, Branch used his hair to reflect some of the bullets but those he couldn't reflect he had to quickly dodge to avoid getting hit. Branch fired right back, planting several bullets in the chest, head and gut. As he ran towards the building he noticed his guns had ran out of bullets, he quickly dropped the guns he was holding, reached in his pockets, grabbed two more and continued firing. Finally Branch reached the front door and quickly opened it. As he ran inside a bullet grazed his shoulder. Branch screamed in pain and quickly shut the door behind him and locked it.

"He's locked in." Chef noticed "Trapped like it rat, it won't be long now boys."

Once inside Branch took a look at his grazed shoulder, it wasn't to bad, he would definitely live, but man did it sting like hell.

Branch knew the door wouldn't hold long, running to a digital pad on the wall he typed in a code and spoke into the pad. "Activate self defense system, target any and all bergens."

With the self defense system activated Branch knew he had bought himself some time once the bergens broke their way in, but with Chef's numbers he knew the only thing that would take them all down was that bomb. Branch hurried down to the basement where the bomb was. As Branch opened the basement door he noticed sitting in the middle of the room was the atom bomb, the thing that would blow him up and every bergen with him. Branch ran up and set the timer for sixty minutes. Branch figured that would be the time it took for Chef and her crew to reach him.

"Okay bomb set, now just wait for Chef to arrive, get filled with a hundred bullets and die just as the bomb goes off, drag them motherfuckers to hell with me. It will work, it will work."

Poppy was still kicking and screaming when Biggie and Guy Diamond drug her to a safe distance away from Eden, where the rest of the Troll population stayed.

"We got to go back, we got to go back!"

"Poppy!" Biggie yelled, grabbing Poppy by the shoulders and turning her around to face him. "We can't! You go back now you'll be dead too!"

Poppy just buried her head in Biggie's shoulders and sobbed "Branch, please! Branch!"

Branch could here the screams coming from some of the bergens as they fell into his traps. Branch almost wished he had a camera with him to see the looks on their faces as they fell. As Branch waited for Chef's army to reach his destination Branch set up one last trap, he strapped several automated machine guns to the window, once the bergens arrived they would go off. These guns would ensure that Chef and her men went nowhere when that bomb went off.

Branch didn't have to wait long after he set off the last gun. Running down the basement hallway, blood from her own men splattered on her face and overall looking like a mess, Chef came running guns in hand.

"That's right, just a little closer, a little closer. Come on, come on!" Branch taunted. Once in targeting range the machine guns opened fire, gunning down several bergens, Chef instantly ordered her men to open fire.

As the machine guns opened fire Branch took out a sniper rifle and added to the wave of bullets. He only had twelve bullet's, but it would do. Putting in the first bullet he stared through the scope and fired, delivering a head shot to one of the bergens.

The noise from the sniper rifle attracted Chef's attention, turning to the noise of the rifle Chef spotted Branch and fired a shot, hitting him in the right shoulder. Branch fell to the ground clinching his shoulder in pain.

"He's camped at the right window, focus all your fire power there!" Chef ordered. The bergens turned their guns toward the right window and fired everything they had. Branch buried his head as the bullets came swarming in above him. Crawling through broken window glass and raining bullets Branch reached another window and fired two more shots from his sniper rifle taking out two more bergens. His move didn't surprise Chef either as she responded with a shot of her own, hitting Branch in the arm. Again Branch fell to the ground, and this time she had half of her army focus fire on the left window. Both windows blocked by gun fire Branch crawled for safety behind the active bomb. He was filled with lead, but not enough to give up yet. He would fight till his dying breath, or until that bomb went off at least.

"Okay Branch, get ready for your last stand." Using the bomb as a shield he poked his face out from behind the bomb and fired five more shot's, gunning down five more bergens.

Branch then took his most fatal blow yet, spotting Branch again Chef fired a shot from her assault rifle, delivering a bullet to Branch's face. Branch fell again, this time he didn't have the strength to get back up, the pain was to much. He let his rifle roll out of his hand and closed his eyes ready to accept whatever death awaited him.

"He can't take another shot." Chef cheered "Blow that door down and finish the bastard."

From behind the bomb Branch could here the bergens concentrating their fire on the door. In just a few minutes they would be in, and Branch would be dead.

"I gave it my best shot Grandma," Branch cried "I fought till the end."

"Branch," Branch heard the spirit of his Grandmother speaking to him "You still have time."

Branch didn't know why he opened his eyes, but when he did he noticed a sticky note placed behind the bomb that he didn't notice before. Despite the extreme pains from his wounds he reached over and grabbed the note, it was from Gristle.

"Branch, I hope that this bomb is never used, but in case it does, I want to let you know something, you don't have to die. I created a bomb shelter in the back of the room that goes deep enough to protect you from the blast, use it."

Branch couldn't believe it, there really was a way out. Branch looked at the time on the bomb, seven minutes. Just enough time to get out of here. Crawling on his knees he made his way to the back of the room, sure enough there was a secret opening in the floor. He was weak, and he could barely walk due to the amount of blood loss and he was about to lose consciousness but he was determined to get out of there. Opening the secret passage Branch slowly started climbing downward.

Back with the other trolls, Poppy found herself refusing to let Branch die. She knew what Branch said, but she found herself unwilling to live without Branch in her life. Breaking free from the rest of the trolls she started running back in the direction she came.

"Poppy wait!" Gristle screamed.

"No! I got to save Branch! I can't leave him!"

"But Poppy...!"

Poppy didn't respond she started bailing back towards the direction of Eden. In a effort to stop her Satin and Chenille ran after her as well.

Chef finally blasted the door in and ran inside. Followed by her remaining fleet she walked straight up to the bomb that was in the middle of the room. It was then that her eyes widened in horror when she noticed that the bomb was activated, not only that but it was about to detonate.

5...4...3...2...1...

The bomb erupted, Chef, standing right above the bomb took the full impact and disintegrated within a couple of seconds. Her army as well disintegrated into ash letting out a loud blood curling scream as they died.

Down below Branch was only halfway down when the bomb erupted. The blast blew him off the steps and he fell several feet down the rest of the way. Branch hit the rocky ground with a huge slam, moaning as he laid on his back, Branch's eyes widened in horror as he saw rocks crashing down on top of him trapping him and burying him underground.

Poppy was still running toward Eden when the force of the blast knocked her to the ground. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the giant mushroom cloud in the distance.

"BRANCH!"

 **To be concluded next chapter**


	16. Epilogue

**First off I would like to say thank you to all who read this story. I was so scared that nobody would read this with it being a M rating but not only did you all read this but you gave so much positive feedback. I know it's gotten emotional at times, there was times I made you cry. But the way I see it the rough emotions only made the story more fun.**

 **So let's end this emotional roller coaster for the last time shall we?**

"Branch?" Poppy called out when she and the other trolls reached the rubble where Eden once stood. "Branch where are you!?"

The air was still clouded with smoke but Poppy could still make out the scorched remains of several bergen soldiers. For many of them, all that was left was burnt limbs like their arm, for many others all that was left was scorched clothes fabric.

It was the scorched clothes fabric that was all that was left of General Chef, Poppy found her military badge and little fabrics of her uniform shirt laying next to a pile of debris.

"There's no way he could survive something like this Poppy." Suki replied "He's gone, I'm sorry."

"No!" Poppy cried "No, no, no he can't be gone."

"There may be one place left he could have survived." Gristle encouraged, leading the trolls to the entrance to the bomb shelter. "I left a note on the bomb telling him to use it, if he saw the note there's a good chance he could have survived." Gristle led the trolls down the shelter, Poppy praying the whole way that Branch used it and survived.

What they saw when they got there horrified them however. There was a big pile of rocks littered across the entire ground, and Branch's left arm sticking out of the pile, the only part of Branch that was visible under those rocks.

"Branch!" Poppy screamed running to the pile of rocks and working anxiously to dig him out. When Branch was finally dug out he was coated and blood and burns. His eyes was closed and he wasn't moving.

"Branch?" Poppy cried "Branch? Come on Branch you need to wake up. Please don't die on me Branch."

Gristle took Branch from Poppy and placed his ear to his chest. "He's still alive, but we got to get him some help fast, come on!" Gristle led the trolls out of Eden and rushed Branch as fast of he could to the hospital, Poppy was still praying the entire way for Branch to hold on.

"Hold on Branch, please, hold on.

 _Poppy's Journal,_

 _Awe hell does that sound cheesy, I'm not as good at making these as Branch is, but right now, it's the only thing keeping me sane._

 _Branch did it, he destroyed Chef and ended the war. Once news broke that Chef and her army was destroyed, the remaining Bergen population quickly surrendered and worked out a piece treaty. Troll meat was deemed illegal and trolls were free to come out of hiding without fear of being snatched up._

 _It all came at a cost though. For the past six months Branch has remained in Coma, with each passing day the doctor fears he won't wake up. Recently she suggested I take him off of life support and end his suffering but I can't. If there is even a chance he wakes up I have to take it. He saved us all even when all hope seemed lost, I can't just give up on him that easy._

 _My friends have shown so much support for Branch, at least once a week for the past six months they have came and left flowers, balloons, or cards at his bed side. And the entire troll population often stands outside the hospital holding up banners and showing support. Even several of our former bergen friends has shown support, flying a banner over the hospital that read_ _ **"We love you Branch!"**_

 _I have barely left the hospital since the incident. I have been in the hospital room by Branch's side for so long it almost feels like my new home. I'm tired of hospital food but I refuse to leave his side until he wakes up._

 _I'm nine months pregnant at this point. While staying at the hospital the doctors have ran several ultra sounds on me and Branch was right, I'm having a girl. I should be excited but I fear as each day goes by that Branch won't be around to see his daughter's birth._

 _I honestly don't know who is taking this worse, me or Winter. Winter calls each day to ask about Branch and I can here him cry each time I tell him the news. I want to remain strong, I want keep hope that Branch will wake up, but as each day passes, I fear more and more that he will never wake up._

It was the sound of the doctor coming in that caused Poppy to sit down her journal. Poppy hadn't even recognized until she looked in the mirror across the hospital room that she had been crying again. The doctor looked at her in sympathy and heart ache. She sat down next to her and put her arm around Poppy as she tried her best to comfort her.

"You have to make the choice soon." The doctor said sympathetically.

"I can't do it," Poppy cried "Please don't make me do it."

"Poppy listen, It's been six months. Most people who stay in coma this long rarely ever wake up. We have done everything we can for Branch but now it's up to him to get up. I know you love him Poppy but..."

"It's not just because I love him!" Poppy snapped "Yes that plays a big part of it but Branch literally saved all of us, stayed behind to wipe of Chef's army. We can't just give up on him."

"And you haven't. But sometimes the hardest decisions are the ones that need to be made for the best interest of the patient. He's hurting Poppy, he took impact from a full atom bomb. He's lucky he wasn't killed on impact. I know he means so much to you, but at this point it may be best to end his suffering."

Poppy buried her head in her hands and wept. This was news she dreaded hearing, The doctor could tell that this was hard on Poppy, she understood. This type of news was hard on every loved one.

"I'll give you ten minutes, I hope you make the right decision." The doctor left the room and Poppy stared at Branch's comatose body with red tearful eyes. Not knowing what else to do Poppy closed her eyes and turned the one thing she knew to do at this moment, prayer.

"You delivered a miracle to us once when you led us out of Chef's grasp. I'm asking again for a miracle. I know death is inevitable but please, don't take Branch away yet, he deserves another chance at life. So many people still need him around, I need him, Winter needs him, my unborn daughter needs him. Please, spare Branch, and I will dedicate my entire life to you."

Poppy opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around Branch's body and continued her weeping.

"Please wake up Branch. I love you"

"Poppy," A familiar whisper suddenly replied. Poppy opened her eyes and saw Branch was awake and was shooting her a tired smile.

"Branch!" Poppy wrapped her arms around Branch's neck and pulled him in for a long kiss. "Your awake, my god your awake." Her voice then went stern and pointed her index finger at Branch. "Don't you ever scare me again like that man."

"No promises." Branch teased "So, did I win?"

"Yes," Poppy said with a tearful smile. "You won." The two embraced in another kiss, this one even longer then the first and nearly lasted a full five minutes. For the two lovebirds however, it felt like it lasted eternity. Not that Poppy cared, she was just glad to finally have her Branch back.

 _Branch's journal, March 7, 2052._

 _It has been nearly two years since the war with the bergens ended. It wasn't easy rebuilding life again in regular civilization, but with the help of trolls and bergens alike we have succeeded._

 _Today is my daughter's first birthday. Little Scarlett is the cutest little troll you've ever laid your eyes on, and Winter is the best big brother you could ask for. He loves his baby sister, and he also loves the fact that just last month I became his official father._

 _Shortly after I woke up from my six month coma I did what everybody had been waiting to do in my one year stay in Eden, I proposed to Poppy. I was a nervous wreck doing it. I was shaking like a leaf in a tornado. I took her on what I thought was going to be a relaxing picnic but soon we found ourselves running back to our car when it came pouring down rain, that's the last time I take Cooper's word on the weather. Anyway after a wave of cursing and griping I tossed the ring to Poppy and cut the whole trying to be romantic crap and asked her to marry me. We got married last month on the same grounds where Eden once stood. The grass was still charred and there wasn't much pretty scenery but we thought it was the best place for it to happen considering the history we have there._

 _Both Cooper and Biggie love playing Godfather to little Scarlett and she often refer to them as Uncle._

 _I will always miss my Grandma but I know that she is watching me from above, and Grandma I would love to say to you if you are reading this with the biggest damn set of binoculars you can find that we did it, we won. We finally have peace at last. The war is over._

 **Hope you loved the ending, because honestly this wasn't the ending I wanted to use. The original ending I had in mind was a lot more sad and bittersweet and evolved Branch not surviving the blast from the bomb. He was supposed to, after getting shot several times, sit next to the bomb and just wait till Chef busted in and give a final taunting smirk to Chef as the bomb erupted killing them all.**

 **The reason I didn't use that ending was the fear of backlash, I feared that people would be mad if I used that ending for Branch. But I still fill like I want to post it because I liked that ending a lot more. So I am going to let you decide, do you want to read the original ending that I had in mind or would you rather this be the only one? Whatever you decide I will be okay with.**

 **Thanks to all who read this story and I will catch you all later.**


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